Page 23 - Priorities #50 2011-June/July

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my predicament and he told me who to see at The Alameda Naval Air Station. I met him and enlisted in the Marines. With a slight twist. Remember the little 6 years old with the play space ship? Well, I loved aviation. I joined the Marines as an aviation guarantee. Which meant, after boot camp when all my platoon mates reported to Camp Peniaitan for advanced infantry training. I was to report to Jacksonville Florida to a naval air-training unit to learn how to order parts for aircraft from bureau of weapons manuals and repair planes. I was offered flight school but declined because they would not let me go back to my reserve stasis in the event I washed out for any reason. The dyslexia could have been a big factor. Upon my return to Alameda, I finished my 6-year enlistment in the reserve. I loved the Marines. And to this day am proud to say I was one. How many 22 year old get to play with jets? For the last two years of my enlistment I was in charge of a check crew. I was honorably discharged in 1969 as a sergeant...I almost reenlisted but some jerk Sergeant Major gave me a bad time about my sideburns so I gave him a one fingered salute and told him to turn in the discharge paperwork.
Because of the Marines, no one is harder on me than me. I expected and still do expect excellence from myself.
Shortly after my return from active duty I was rehired by The kitchen cabinet Co but learned they were going to move to Reno. So, I went to work for my uncle in a family owned liquor store. I spent the next 18 years in the liquor business and became a partner. We owned and operated 5 stores. We were one of the larger chains in the area. In 1978 fair trade went out. Eventually we could not compete with the Safeway’s and Albertson’s so we sold off the stores one by one.
My wife Patty and I, actually met in Grammar school. We started dating in high school and upon my return from active duty I asked her to marry me. We were married on Aug. 22 1964 and are now going on 47 years. We raised three children, two girls and a boy. We now have 5 grand children.
Patty and I opened an energy store in downtown Los Gatos. We sold woodstoves and some solar and fans. We were about 30 years ahead of the times on the solar. But did very well, but the problem was the stoves were so heavy that I was killing myself installing them. We weren’t big enough to hire a lot of help. So we sold the business. I then got into the real estate. I worked for Blickman Turkus for 5 years, before becoming a broker and then started my own company specializing in property management.
I got my pilots license, I have an instrument rating, I am checked out in 7 different airplanes, low wing and high, as well as complex high performance Actual 8, Other than Flash Gordon, Who else can fly a space ship with a Gyro Blaster Magatroniter with optional afterburners.
I am a partner in my dream airplane which is a high performance Cessna turbo charged 310 hp T 210. able to due 224 mph at 25,000 ft.
So here I am going on 70 looking forward to starting another chapter in my book of life.
In the Omnibus yearbook of 1961, the nine members of the first graduating class expressed their appreciation of Woodside Priory School. Under “Our Intention,” it states: “as we look back over these four years, we, the first graduating class, are filled with reverence and awe. For we have found that the true miracle is faith itself rather than our own callousness in taking so much for granted.”
John Flynn is a CPA with an MBA degree from the Wharton School and a B.A. degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a retired naval officer.
Frank Greenlaw – Became a Priest
Lloyd Clair – deceased – He passed away in 2002.
Andrew Kudlacik – deceased - Andrew was the valedictorian of this first graduating class. He graduated from Reed College with a degree in mathematics and attended the University of Chicago to pursue graduate work in linguistics. He worked as an editor at W.H. Free- man and Company in San Francisco for several years, eventually moving to New York to continue working with the company. He was an accomplished pianist and a gourmet cook. He passed away in August 2007.
Thomas Whitebone – deceased - Tom went onto University of Redlands after graduating from Priory. He passed away in January 1997.