After graduating High School in Hammond, Indiana I joined the Army and spent most of my time in Korea. When I was discharged in 1958 I got a job at Inland Steel and attended Purdue Calumet Campus. Married Judy Pulkowski in 1961 and Judy and I had two children, Christopher Mark, and Lori Ann. We have 6 grand children, Andrew, Calianne, Atiyeh. Mattie Ethan and Liam. Judy and I have been happily married for 49 years.
Didn't much care for Inland and went to work for Libby foods in Chicago after18 years in Chicago they transferred me to Sacramento, Ca. Worked for Libbys' another 5 years as the West Coast Shipping Supervisor. Had a change of life epiphany and decided to something different and after extensive training, opened a Beltone Hearing Aid office in Longview, Texas. Got involved with a program associated with the University of Texas and earned the title of Audioprosthologist. Served as President of the American Conference of Audioprosthogy for three years.
Several colleagues and myself started a new company, Hearing Healthcare Management. HHM encompassed 100 Audiology office's across the United States with approximately 400 employees. Several years into this endeavor a large Hearing Aid Manufacturing from Denmark bought us out. The purchase included a 10-year commitment to stay with the business. When I reached the age of 65 our son Chris gave Judy and I the opportunity to retire in 2003. Chris took over our Audiology Practices and will complete the work commitment this year. Chris and his wife Lisa have four children, Andrew, Mattie, Ethan and Liam.
Our daughter Lori is a professor at Texas State University. Lori and Saleem have two children Calianne and Atiyeh. Saleem, is of Lebanese decent, in case you were wondering; I assisted Saleem in opening his own practice in Austin, The Better Hearing Center of Austin.
Since retirement, Judy and I built a home in Central Texas in a very small burg called Driftwood. We travel as much as we can, last year we were in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, Germany and Holland. I'm currently Faithful Navigator of the St. Thomas Aquinas Assembly Knights of Columbus in Wimberley; I don't know how I had time to work. I have several hobbies, photography, wood working, travel and cooking, especially Polish food. My interest in cooking began when I was very young, my mother was a test cook for Betty Crocker, and each month she would receive a box of different food items with recipes that were to be tested. After each recipe the family would critic each new product. She would send a report and get another box. Wimberley Men's Cooking Club revived those memories; we try new recipes every month, isn't life great.