As many of you know, Janelle Gibson and I married the year after graduation, and have been on an adventure ever since. Janelle supported me through college and I joined the Air Force as an officer upon graduation. We endured a posting in North Dakota and it’s winters, but then enjoyed two three year tours in England, four years in California, and a couple years in Morocco.
After a break working in Midwest manufacturing, I reentered the Air Force, working locally in the Des Moines area. After all our travels, Janelle was finally able to finish college and graduated with an elementary education degree, then taught in West Des Moines, Iowa. She then worked in the travel industry and enjoyed a job where she travelled the world literally, and led groups for business and pleasure trips.
I retired from the Air Force finally in 2007 with the rank of Colonel, and then went to work in the aerospace industry for Bombardier Learjet, both in Wichita and Montreal. I worked on flight testing, both on existing planes and certifying new ones. In 2016, I retired forever, but continue with a hobby job, driving a school bus for West Des Moines.
Janelle retired from the travel business in 2020, and now stays very busy with volunteer work, fitness, and grandchildren.
We have four grown children with lovely spouses and six grandchildren. They’re all doing well, and live in Missoula, MT, Mclean, VA, Chicago, and Waukee, Iowa.
Here is a photo from our youngest daughter, Meg’s wedding recently. After Janelle and I, left to right are Megan, Lizabeth, Peter and Nate.
And us with all the grandkids reading Christmas Eve stories in 2021.
