Gregory Pankau:
CLASS OF 1974
Sammamish High SchoolClass of 1974
Bellevue, WA
Issaquah High SchoolClass of 1976
Issaquah, WA
Newport High SchoolClass of 1976
Bellevue, WA
Interlake High SchoolClass of 1976
Bellevue, WA
Redmond High SchoolClass of 1974
Redmond, WA
Gregory's Story
Life
I was married for 19 years, but finally it didn't work out, so we split up in late 2000. I have two great kids, Brian is 35 now (I can hardly believe), and a graduate in Classics at College of the Holy Cross. He is now a middle school Latin teacher in Massachusetts. Natalie is 31 and a Navy helicopter instructor pilot. She also graduated from Holy Cross with a degree in Russian. I had a great career in the Navy and Coast Guard, retiring as a Supply Chain Manager (SKCS) in 2001. Following 9/11, I used that experience in the Middle East, supporting the war effort in Afghanistan, so I was also there for the war in Iraq; living in Qatar (1 yr) and Kuwait (3 yrs). I'm now married to a Romanian woman with two kids. We resettled in northern Virginia in August 2006, in 2010 I was very happy to move back to the PNW living on the Eastside again, living in North Bend, Bellevue, and finally Mill Creek; working in Redmond. In 2014, we retired to Florida, in St. Augustine for 8 years, and now in Flagler Beach. I'm living in an old Seinfeld joke: "My parents moved to Florida, they turned 60, and it's the law." LOL
School
The thing I regret most in my life, is where I was mentally, and emotionally while I was in high school. I gave up on it, quit and joined the Navy (which probably saved me). But, knowing what I know now, I wish I had stayed in school, succeeded at it, and gotten to know all of you a lot better. I really miss all the things I missed out on by dropping out early, proms, games, clubs, etc. If I could have a do over knowing what I know now, I would have been into everything. But, I can't change history, and things worked out for me much better than I expected in 1972. The good news is I learned to educate myself through reading, and am now voraciously devouring history, religion, geography, literature, and the classics, all subjects I was never seriously exposed to in school. Go figure! Remember when we were such a "progressive" school district they were always making movies of the "ne...Expand for more
w" things we were doing (especially at Bellewood.) Too bad so many of us fell through the cracks. But it was our fault too, lolly gagging at everything serious, and majoring in "parking lot activities". That's why I want a do over.
College
I fixed it partly when I was Student Body President at Bellevue Community College in 1978-79, which was a much larger educational experience than any of my classes. It was a difficult year, with a lot of political turmoil, with the faculty trying to force out the school President, but I stayed "above the fray" mostly, and came out relatively unscathed, and much wiser.
I am still studying and learning. I didn't need a degree for the work I did in the military, and I have taken many classes at different schools, and received college credit for much of what I did in the military, so I have many college credits now, more than 250, but not the right distribution for a degree, which I will finish one of these days.
Workplace
I was working for a large defense contractor: Agility Defense & Government Services as Small Business Programs Manager in Alexandria, VA. Previously, I worked for the same company, known then as PWC Logistics, Kuwait, as Inventory and Quality Control Manager on the Subsistence Prime Vendor contract for Kuwait and Iraq. We provided all food for Coalition Forces in those countries and helped support Afghanistan, too. It was an extremely busy and challenging opportunity to continue serving my country. Before, during and after the war, I was helping build USAF facilities in Qatar and other countries. Now, I am working for a large government contractor in Redmond.
Military
Retired from the U.S. Coast Guard in July 2001, after 28 years service, as a Senior Chief Petty Officer (Storekeeper). 10 of those years were in U.S. Navy & Reserve. I spent 7 years at sea on 5 ships, and 9 years overseas: 3 1/2 years in Guam and 5 1/2 years in Kodiak, Alaska. Also spent two years as a Career Counselor traveling all over Pacific NW. I had a great career!!
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