It’s been a wild ride…to the ends of the earth, and back again. We’ve, [Sylvia (Beck) EHS class ’63 and I], now visited every continent–including Antarctica, and amazingly we continue to live in the same house, on 1200 East, where I was born and raised.  

Our five children also grew up in this house, (four of which also graduated from EHS—the last one had to IB it at West) and our fifteen grandchildren (all under age 15) live close by, and visit frequently.  [If you live in SLC area you may have seen our oldest son, Jason Mathis, Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance, on TV a time or two.]  

Along the way I’ve enjoyed two very different careers.  I taught LDS Released-Time Seminary for 30 years after graduating from the U of U in general science education, and at the same time spent 33 years in the Army Reserve and National Guard, with 22 of the years as both a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot.  I still dabble in aviation as an adjunct instructor in the Professional Pilot Program at Salt Lake Community College.

Memories of EHS include:  A Cappella Choir, seminary and the great friends that helped me have a social life.

Along the way, on this wild ride, I’ve learned that we have a Heavenly Father and a Savior, Jesus Christ, and one of the many ways They manifest Their presence is in the Creations of this world.

 I love the outdoors and find it a great place to spend time recognizing these creations, especially the Uinta Mountains, where my youngest son, 16, and I, at the age of 56, backpacked (that means no pack animals except for the two of us) the entire highline trail, roughly 100 miles, from West to East. Something I’d wanted to do since I was 17. All of my children and grandchildren, over the 12 year old mark, do an annual Unita backpack trip.

Life is wonderful recognizing we’re in the “second act of our three act play” (President Boyd K. Packer) and looking forward to whatever comes next.

Wow, 50 years! I guess that explains why I sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies on cold mornings. I am happy to say that I still have all of my original body parts with only a few minor repairs. It has been an interesting 50 years. Within a week after graduating from East, I was in boot camp in San Diego. I spent a little over 4 years in the Navy serving in the Submarine Service on 2 different diesel powered submarines. While home ported in Hawaii I learned to surf and repaired surfboards part time.

After my discharge, I returned to SLC and worked for Hydro Swift boats and Associated Design Group as a fiber glass laminator. After a year or so, I married Laraine Bowman (no not that one). But my wife Laraine was also a school teacher. We moved to Arvada Colo. for a while, then back to her home town in Pahrump, NV. (just outside of Las Vegas). I went to work for the local power Co. and Laraine taught school. After 40 years and three tries I finally rertired. During my career, I held just about every outside job from groundman and lineman on a line crew, to the Manager of Operations. When I finally left the Co. for good, I was the Vice President of the Board of Directors. I was also on the Board of Trustees for the Northwest Public Power Assoc.

We now spend our time between Pahrump in the winter and our house on the Long Beach Peninsula in WA. state in the summer. In WA. we spend much of our time fishing for salmon and crab among other things. I have played golf in India, panned for gold in Nome, Alaska and stood in awe in the dimly lit Sistine Chapel. After making it almost all the way around the world, I would have to say it has truly been an interesting 50 years. I also subscribe to the notion, "Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost."

Thank you Mr. Hull
       Carpe Diem

After graduation and time spent in the military I moved to California and worked at Stanford University in the OR.  Dr. Norman Shumway’s team took me under their wing and gave me the opportunity to become a Technician that ran the Heart Lung machine for open-heart surgery cases and worked in the research lab where Heart Transplants were being done and tested in preparation for clinical use. 
         Married my first wife and moved back to SLC. Worked at the University of Utah in the research
labs on programs of Kidney Transplantation, diabetes treatments, lung transplants and other programs. I moved to NYC to take charge of a research lab and animal facility for a doctor that was moving from SLC to NY to head up a kidney transplant program for a consortium of NY hospitals. I spent about 15 years there,.
          We adopted my first daughter, who is now 38, while living in NJ. I also completed my degree at St. Peters College with a BS in Business.
          We moved to Chicago where I was the Assistant Director of the Office of Animal Care for the University of Chicago, then moved on a number of other Universities before finally moving into the world of Pharmaceutical companies (Bristol-Myers Squibb) where I worked for about 16 years as Operations/Technical Manager in their Veterinary Sciences Department. The last 10 years I managed a large Non-Human Primate program for the company.
        I married my second wife while at BMS. I have a second adopted daughter, who is now 23.
        I retired from BMS in 2007, moved to Las Cruces, NM where I am active in many local activities including volunteering at a local food bank, docent for the local RR museum. I am a member of the board of the Foundation for Las Cruces Museums. Worked as a natural bearded Santa for the 2011 Christmas season and will do so again this season at Fr. Bliss in El Paso, Tx.  I continue to work as a freelance Santa during the Christmas seasons.

    Our younger daughter was married 3 years ago.  She and her husband live in the Minniapolis area.

We now have two grandchildren, both girls.  The older one, who is 8,  lives in Rochester NY with her mom and our yourner one, 8 mo, lives with her parents in MN.

We have moved to a Del Webb community on Bernalillo, NM. We moved her about 2 years ago and absolutly love it.  Have wonderful neighbors and friends here and actually have seasons.  

Recently my wife, Gail was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma.  She just had a Stem Cell Transplant at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and is doing well.  We are hopefull that this will put her into remission as the Seicntific community works on the cure.