John Elligers:
CLASS OF 1966
Syosset High SchoolClass of 1966
Syosset, NY
Cornell University - Industrial & Labor RelationsClass of 1970
Ithaca, NY
John's Story
Life
My bio is pretty much what someone who knew me at SHS would have expected -- Cornell, married in 1970 (Sandy -- Cornell coed -- still married), Harvard Law, career in government doing labor law in Washington DC (NLRB until 1987, Washington Metro until 2001, then back to NLRB), house in suburban VA, daughter Karen (born 1976), son Andrew (born 1979), youth soccer coach (boys and girls -- 30+ seasons), PTA (10+ years lobbying county government to spend more on the public schools), serious jogging/biking (finished a few marathons -- Coach Miller would have been proud).
Wife Sandy's a labor lawyer at the NLRB. Daughter Karen graduated UVA, taught secondary school for 4 years, found the job was more disciplining than teaching, and just graduated UVA law this spring (2006). Son Andrew also graduated UVA, worked for a non-profit and as a paralegal for 4 years, got married last summer (Julia Joh - Cornell '01), and just finished his first year at American U law school. (Going to law school is the default career choice for 20-somethings in the Washington, DC area.)
There's one unusual item ...Expand for more
in my bio -- in 1999, I got Guillaine-Barre Syndrome, a rare disease in which the immune system misreacts to a flu or flu shot by mistaking the peripheral nervous system for a flu germ. I was completely paralyzed, in ICU for 6 weeks, on a ventilator for 4 months, in the hospital for 7 months, and cost my health insurance company over $1 million!
Fortunately, the nervous system grows back. Seven years later, I'm 95% recovered -- minor balance problems and cannot jog so I've had to cut back on the fat foods that I love. When I was ready to return to work in 2001, Metro refused to reinstate me, but the NLRB rehired me and Metro settled my threatened lawsuit to my satisfaction.
The GBS experience has helped me appreciate life more. We've been working on Sandy's goal of doing 5-day mini-vacations to all 50 states; 49 down, only Washington State still to go. The GBS rehab period also gave me a chance to get back in touch with some SHS friends whom I'd lost track of over the years.
Sandy and I are looking forward to attending the 40th reunion in October. Hope to see many classmates there.
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Reunions
Photos