Maiden and Last Name: Wass

Address: 1624 S. Observatory dr.

City: Nashville I also have a home in Stuart Fl. And we live on our boat( Pappa Whiskey), in Essex Ct during the summer

State: Tn.

Phone: 615 300-4845

Email Address: rwass@concast.net

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT WORK STATUS?

Work full-time ( ) Work part-time ( x ) Retired ( ) Years___

Never worked outside the home ( )

Other

ARE YOU STILL IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF YOUR NBHS FRIENDS?

Yes ( x )

No ( )

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR LEISURE TIME? (Check all that apply)

Volunteer Work ( ) Exercise/Active Sports ( x ) Spectator Sports ( x ) Attend Movies ( )

Go to concerts/plays/museums ( ) Visit Family/Grandchildren ( x) Watch TV ( some )

Surf the Web/Play computer games ( blog ) Arts and crafts ( )

Home improvement projects ( x ) Travel ( x )

Other: Boating and fishing in Ct. and Fl Gave up flying 2 yrs. ago

DO YOU USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TECHNOLOGIES? (Check all that apply)

Computer ( Mac ) Cell Phone ( x ) Text messaging ( )

Smart Phone ( Blackberry/iPhone) ( ) iPod ( ) Kindle ( )

Other: GPS navigation, sonar and radar

SUMMARIZE YOUR CAREER/PERSONAL PATH OVER THE LAST FIFTY YEARS.
After 5 years of High school(graduated at the bottom of my class a yr. late in 1961), joined the Air Force (B-52 ground crew chief). Married Pamela Apostalon (48 yrs). Graduated C.C.S.C. Physics and math. Had three children while attending school full time and working part time. (how did we do it), Worked for Remington Elec. Shaver (materials engineer). The Gillette Co.(project coordinator) And Aladdin Ind.(Marketing research). Invented and patented a Fireplace Heat exchanger which Pam and I manufactured and sold by Mail order. After losing two jobs in a row decided to go out on my own. Very tough times for us, Luckily we were presented with an opportunity to do sub-contract work for Nortel and basically started a new business (TELCO INC) on our kitchen table. After 15 years of hard work we were operating in our own 100,000 sq.ft. building with over 300 employes, was a leader in sub-contract manufacturing, and became a repair center & reseller of Nortel telephone systems. Five years ago we sold Telco and made enough to retire comfortably. In the end, against all odds we did what we were supposed to do with the opportunities presented to us, we found our piece of personal success and achievement, and thats all you could hope for.

WHICH NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL EVENTS HAVE MOST INFLUENCED/IMPACTED YOU SINCE
HIGH SCHOOL? First moon landing, Saddam's burning of the Kuwait oil wells (glad he paid for that), 911, and the Reagan and Bush tax cuts.

WHAT PERSONAL EVENTS IMPACTED YOU THE MOST?
My 48 yr. marriage and partnership with my wife Pam, the blessing of our three children and six grand children.
Our oldest grandchild being struck in the eye by a bottle rocket at age 13 and losing much of his vision in that eye.
The first flight of my home built airplane.
Throwing in the trash a half pack of cigarettes (Lucky Strikes) and vowing never to smoke again, the day my third child was born.
Computer Spell check.

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST HOPES AND CONCERNS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS? I hope we find a way to control our government spending, so the next generations will have opportunities as we had, instead of being straddled with a growing national debt not of their making.
It would be sad if we were the last generation to achieved more than our parents.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN YOUR FUTURE?
Enjoying the fruits of our hard work. Contemplating the meaning of life and how it relates to the universe while fishing and cruising on our yacht, and perhaps writing a book on the subject. Also I would like to loose 10 make that 20 lbs.

WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIAL OR MOST OUTSTANDING MEMORIES FROM OUR YEARS AT NBHS?
I was the class runt, physically, intellectually and academically immature, with acne, understandably shunned by most of my classmates. The mostly bad memories of high school have long been forgotten. I consider myself a late bloomer who married well out of high school and had my successes later in life.