Mark Janes:
CLASS OF 1968
Eisenhower High SchoolClass of 1968
Decatur, IL
Decatur Community CollegeClass of 1978
Decatur, IL
Eisenhower High SchoolClass of 1968
Decatur, IL
Johns Hill Junior High SchoolClass of 1964
Decatur, IL
Muffley Elementary SchoolClass of 1962
Decatur, IL
Mark's Story
LIFE:
UPDATED: August 2023
OK, here goes.
Married and divorced three times. Think I finally figured out that I'm not the marryin' kind. But, for all the related disappointments, there were wonderful results. Four great kids (Todd 49, Marcia 47, Stacia 43, Dan 33)…and 10 fantastic grandkids.
Although mostly retired now, my work life was an interesting journey.
I was in commercial radio off and on for 7 years early in my career. I later did it as a volunteer on community radio stations, both in New Orleans and Asheville NC.
I served in the Navy, but spent the entire time in the SF Bay area of CA doing training, quality assurance, and maintenance records for an anti-sub patrol aircraft training squadron. Yes, one duty station - all shore duty - for four years. Practically unheard of. A wonderful time in my life. I lived in Mountain View/Sunnyvale area and who would have known that a few short years later this would become THE "Silicon Valley" that now seems to have been around forever.
The Navy had a contract with Lockheed Aircraft (maker of the P3 Orion) to use our squadron to conduct training for foreign countries purchasing that same aircraft. We saw Canadians, New Zealanders, Spanish, and other crews come through during my time there. But, just as my enlistment was about to end, we trained the Imperial Iranian Air Force. I was lured by Lockheed Aircraft from the Navy into a contractor position based in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Before the shah was ousted by the ayatollah and religious rebellion. Thankfully, I was out of that country before the 1979 hostage crisis. But, it was great money while it lasted.
I was back in Decatur for about 10 years from 1976-86 and it was then that I got involved in the bulk tank trucking industry. (In 1980-81, I also owned and operated a video equipment sales and cassette rental store called VIDecatur out by WSOY on Pershing Rd.) From operations management at Transport Service Co., I parlayed my prior QA experience and spent my time in Chgo (2 yrs) and then Indy (10 yrs) with the same motor carrier (Ecoff/Liquid Transport Corp), ending as their VP of Quality & Organizational Improvement. It was the same industry that brought me to New Orleans, where I was VP & Chief Administrative Officer for a bulk tank container terminal and transport operator (Boasso America).
I left that company and industry in 2001 when I was offered a consulting opportunity with a government contractor to the Navy's business IT development center in New Orleans and although the contractor company has changed several times (with changes in govt contracts), I worked at the same facility overlooking Lake Pontchartrain most of the time 2001-2010 doing quality management system and business process improvement consulting. Of course there was that big storm and levee breach thing in '05, but I lucke...Expand for more
d out as in the 20% that didn't flood. (Of course, "Katrina gave me a blow job I'll never forget"...and I do have THAT t-shirt). After a short hiatus as "refugee" living back in Decatur (when I couldn't get to my house there) and then a year working across the Lake (Pontchartrain) or in Baton Rouge, I returned to SPAWAR Systems Center and provided contractor support to the Navy there until September 2010, when that contract expired and they considered me for a contract in DC. I opted out and considered retirement at 60. But not for long.
Shortly after, craft beer friends helped me decide to switch industry gears and I entered the craft beer phase of my career, learning the business as I worked on the retail side (in the beer market at Stein’s Deli) and met countless industry distributors, importers and brewers. .
After almost 15 years in New Orleans, I moved to Bloomington IL in Oct 2012 to manage beer for a new retail outlet of Binny’s Beverage Depot, and to be closer to my mother in her last year (as well as inviting my youngest son to share a residence).
Mom’s passing coincided with the impending motherhood of my younger daughter in Asheville (where there were no other family members), so I decided to move and be the “grandpa on the ground”. That led me to stints at Appalachian Vintner (wine and beer retailer) for 2 years, followed by 3+ years with New Belgium Brewing serving beers and leading tours of the Asheville brewery as an employee-owner.
After my daughter’s family (who had added two boys in that 5 yrs) departed Asheville for Madison WI, I decided to give retirement in Florida a try and moved to Fort Myers in 2019. Eight months later, I was missing friends in Asheville, my lady in OH, and just finding FL just “too old a vibe” for me, so moved back to Asheville where I remain today. And I’m still not totally ‘retired’. After the Covid shutdown in 2020-21, I returned to part-time work in 2022 doing educational brewery/beer tours for brew-ed.com and walking wine tours for Blue Ridge Wine Tours, as well as a weekly trivia emcee gig. And I still enjoy my times of love, laughter and adventures with my gal Sheila (who still splits her time between OH and Asheville).
There you have it. Some will say...TMI...TMI!!!! But, hey...you could have stopped at any time.
It was great to see many of you at our 50-year reunion in 2018! And I look forward to seeing many of you soon at our 55-yr reunion Sep 8-10. (Although the realization has set in that our losses from reunion-to-reunion grow in numbers along with our age; two of my former wives that later again became close friends have passed since our last one.)
If you're still reading NOW...I'll borrow a line from the closing credits of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when Ferris returns to the screen, a little perturbed:
Are you still here? It's over. Go home.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Register for Free to view all events!
Photos
Register for Free to view all photos!