Page 4 - Diamond News - December 2015

Pethtel President
(Continued from Page 1) (Continued from Page 1)

What type of treatment did What type of work Fraternity Dues, so a great value for
you receive? are you doing today? the undergrads.

Like many cancer diagnoses, I am most thankful Two years ago we spent $30K
surgery and chemotherapy were for the career to replace all the HVAC systems.
the standard line of treatment for opportunity offered The house is now much more
my disease. I initially thought that to me through our comfortable year round, and the
I would only miss a semester of alumni president undergrad electric bill has dropped
school, but each treatment option Robert McKeeman. significantly. Our mortgage principal
seemed to fall short of offering a Utility is a technology balance is now less than $300,000.
cure. After running out of simple company based in By the end of this 5-year term in 2019,
treatment options, the next step Decatur focused on our principal should be below $100K.
was to undergo an autologous providing innovative Our goal is to then pay off the last
stem cell transplant, where over “My fraternity family from starting with oldest technology solutions principal balance and be debt free.
the course of a month in the on the left. Andy Wong, Gregg Hines, Tom to utility companies, Our last insurance appraisal valued the
hospital my immune system was Pethtel, Mark Degaetano, Marc Hedglin.” public safety, and land at $500K, and the house structure
at $1.6M, so we are in a good financial
effectively rebooted. This solution law enforcement. position for “DU Forever”.
finally seemed to halt my lymphoma and I returned I started my involvement with Utility during my
to school only to have it return a few months later. treatment when I needed some projects to stay Sad to report that Allen Walters ’69
I once again moved home, this time to prepare busy. Writing software was a skill that I could has passed away. Allen was a mentor
for another month in the hospital where I would pursue at my own pace from the convenience of to me and many other DUs over the
receive a different type of stem cell transplant home or the hospital. When I returned to Atlanta years, and was instrumental in getting
using another person’s bone marrow. With a I started writing software full time helping to build the current house built in 1999-2001.
strong dose of chemotherapy, my immune system an exciting new product, police body cameras. We had about 20 DUs at Allen’s
was destroyed and replaced with that of a German My team works to build a camera system funeral, and he certainly is missed.
man chosen from the bone marrow registry. that is intelligent enough to capture evidence Cherie sends her best wishes to all.
automatically from triggers like when the office
How did your chapter brothers show their starts running. I have learned more in my time at Please stop by the chapter house
support? Utility than I could have ever learned in school. and congratulate the undergrads on
Outside of work what do you for fun? all their accomplishments. You will be
I was amazed to see the chapter’s support of the welcome.
bone marrow registry following my diagnosis. Best regards,
After I organized a drive to register all the active I always enjoy staying busy. I spend a lot of my
brothers to the registry, several of them were time working on projects around the house like Bob McKeeman
chosen as donors and flown to Washington, DC remodels and upgrades. Instead of going on a trip GT DU ’77
where their donations helped to save other patients over Christmas break a few years ago, I decided President, DU Continuum of Education
in situations similar to mine. The brotherhood to stay home and refinish our master bathroom.
has since held several donor drives each year and I have always been excited by anything with an Chapter Eternal
added many people to the registry. engine, so I love working on cars and motorcycles.
Craigslist can be a bit dangerous because there We are saddened to have learned of the
How are you maintaining your health? is always some vehicle for sale that looks like a passing of our Brother. Our sympathies to
Luckily I don’t have much day to day fun project. During my time at home undergoing
treatment, I started working toward my private pilot their friends and family.
maintenance for my health lately. I have spent license, and hope to finish it when I find some time.
some time in the hospital over the past year, My passion for making things and working with Allen J. Walters III
but if everything cooperates I should have my hands also shows through in my interest and
increasingly less to worry about. I am looking cooking and brewing. I enjoy cooking on the Big Most every GT DU since the founding
forward to the day where I can go to the doctor Green Egg and have made anything from a pizza of the chapter in 1957 would
for a yearly checkup like the average guy. consider Allen be the most influential
and beloved alum in the history of the
to peach cobbler on the grill. Recently one of my Tech Chapter. He was President of our
pledge brothers and a few others have started home alumni club for almost 20 years, and a
brewing in our free time, which is always fun. DU International Province Governor
for several years. An engineer with the
Tom (pictured left) and his friend Nick (pictured What advice can you give the alumni and Atlanta Housing Authority, he was then
right) landing the Delta Boeing 737 simulator at young actives about the importance of an attorney for 30 years. He made sure
Hartsfield-Jackson. maintaining contact? the alumni club was in the “DU Forever”
business. Allen graduated from Georgia
The best advice I could offer to the active Tech in 1969 and passed away from
members is to learn as much possible from cancer in August 2015.
your brothers. During my time in the fraternity
I met people from many backgrounds with
many unique skill sets. Any time I needed
something, there was always someone who had
faced a similar challenge before. The brothers
taught me many things that have helped me
in my life and career. Throughout my college
career older members were always helping with
resumes, teaching us how to dress for success,
and connecting us with job opportunities.

Alumni communication services provided by Elevate | www.elevateims.com | 770-903-3987 | @elevateims