Richard Bardy:  

My story starts with: today I find myself with a wonderful woman, four adult children, six grandchildren and in retirement that started 2007. I enjoy time with family, fine cooking, building and flying scale RC Aircraft, digital photography, playing the guitar and Rose gardening. What follows is a story of life events, paths chosen and results that culminates with today. Little did I know when attending GCHS that Math and Science, participation in science fare projects, GO VP and Captain, Inspectors Squad member, Rifle and Handball Teams, Sing and School Artist would lay down a foundation? This foundation helped to overcome shyness, built self-confidence and self-determination for what was to unfold into a successful career in Information Technology? After HS Graduation (1965), I started out with the notion of a career as a CPA. In spite of my good intentions, Fate had a way of guiding my path with life events. Control of One’s destiny is limited to how we deal with such event. After HS I attended The Borough of Manhattan Community College (Accounting Major) and not the more costly St John’s University as once hoped. A year later a change in plans was brought about by an employment offer with IBM on the Keypunch Machine assembly line in Poughkeepsie NY. Eight months into the job a Military Draft launched a four year enlistment in the US Army and a tour of duty in Viet Nam (1968 and 69). Upon my Military discharge as a Staff Sergeant and War Veteran with some minor Army keypunch card coding training, I returned to IBM East Fishkill NY employment in their Data Center. With little to no College Courses available in Computer Science at the time, I had to self-educate in Large Systems Computer Operations and Programming. I later took advantage of Company sp...Expand for more