Bob
joined his parents in Michigan for a while, but he eventually joined
the U.S. Air Force, where he had a long career. The latter sent him to
a number of schools and he soon became an electronics technician. He
worked all kinds of electronics, radar etc. involving many types of
aircraft. The Air Force sent him all over the world. Bob married
during his time in the service and became the father of 6 boys. He and
his first wife were eventually divorced.
Barbara
was born in Santa Monica. Her early claim to fame was that the
Doctor that delivered her was the same one that delivered Shirley
Temple. When Barbara was four, her family moved to Whittier where she
and her older brother completed school. In 1964 she went off to college
at U. C. Berkeley. Barbara reports that this was an interesting time in
her life; that she did a little of sign- carrying but no sit-ins.
She graduated in 1968 before the riots and serious trouble
started. However, she was amazed what was going on when she
returned later to visit college friends. After graduation, Barbara
returned to southern California. Her first job after college was with
L. A. County as Park Director where she served at La Puente Park for 5
years. She then moved back to join her friends at Berkeley.In the
meantime, Bob continued as a part-time student, graduating from the U.
of Colorado in 1985. They both had become involved with the college
sports teams and their boosters. Bob even became an NCAA
representative. They both also took up golf.
In
1995 Bob and Barbara bought a house at Black Lake in the Lower Oaks
just two doors from Del Simon. Since that time they have both taken up
new activities. Bob reads, plays some golf, bowls every Tuesday
night and he loves to sing. Those who attended the 2004 Gyro
Halloween Party heard a sample of his Elvis impersonation.
Barbara
has taken up gardening (not yard maintenance, that’s Bob’s
job), reading, genealogy, stained glass, walking and water exercise.
She also works two afternoons a week in our Community Room. She
has also “arranged for” Bob to be the volunteer
librarian for the Community Room. These two people are real assets to
Black Lake and the Gyros.
A
friend of Barbara’s introduced her to Bob’s ex-wife and she
also got to know his boys. They all told her that they thought she and
Bob would get along well. Bob was transferred to a base near
Berkeley and he did indeed meet Barbara, they did date - and were
eventually married. Bob retired from the Air Force after 20 years
and the couple moved to Redlands. There, Barbara worked for the City of
San Bernardino, with the Federal Action Programs for Adults.
Later,
our couple moved to Long Beach so Bob could continue his college
education. Bob chose Long Beach City College, majoring in History. But
a change in venue was on the horizon: Motivated by the unsettling
passage of Proposition 13 in California in 1978, (....would it hurt the
economy?) our friends moved to Colorado Springs with a load of
furniture and high hopes for new challenges. Their hopes were
fulfilled: Barbara immediately got a job with the Women’s
Resource Agency there. One of her tasks had to with getting jobs for
people. So she found one for Bob as a part- time Financial Aid
Counselor at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Bob liked
young people (having worked with them in the Air Force) and soon the
University found that they couldn’t do without him, and he became
a full time employee. The position of Student Employment Coordinator at
the University became available and Barbara got that job. She and
Bob had offices right across from each other until they both retired in
1995.
