Richard Kleinman:
CLASS OF 1967
Alexander Hamilton High SchoolClass of 1967
Los angeles, CA
California State University Class of 1983
Long beach, CA
Frank L. Wiley Middle SchoolClass of 1964
University heights, OH
Palms Junior High SchoolClass of 1964
Los angeles, CA
Canterbury Elementary SchoolClass of 1961
Cleveland heights, OH
Richard's Story
Life
For those of you who even remember me, I'm now an RN at the smallest, most remote hospital in California; married for 41 years and have a 31 year old son who got married August (2003). He is also a helicopter pilot (something I dreamed about for me, but never did). We are very proud of him and we love his wife. Both finished grad school at Northern Arizona State, him in anthropology (archaeology) and her in forestry. And we are grandparents with a beautiful (aren't they all) grand daughter who is closing in on 2 years old.
2015 Update: A little over a year ago, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After dealing with weight issues much of my life, I'm now fighting it from the other side. But I've survived a year, so that's good. My wife of 43 years died January of this year. I've moved in with my son and his family and have left Catalina Island after 21 years and relocated to Denver. What a change. What a difference a day makes.
Workplace
My "first" job was cleaning flatware in the cafeteria at Wiley Jr. High, University Heights, OH. I found out how forks getting stuck up finger nails hurt and knives are stainless steel and get VERY HOT when they come out of the steam cabinet. I got one dollar a day for that towards lunch. At that time, milk was $0.02.
Started working at Lucky's grocery store at Palms and Sepulveda in WLA during high school doing everything from tearing trash to sorting bottles to bagboy to cashier as well as cleaning the meat department and doing produce.
Then 1968-72 I was in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman. I work in Sick Officers Quarters taking care of officers from Warrant to 4 stars. I also was an OR Tech and then a Hyperbaric Tech.
Worked at UCLA Medical Center as a research tech in Ob-Gyn with sheep. I got rid of all my shoes from then. (Mid to late 70's)
Worked with my wife in a secretarial service in Westwood as well as made an attempt at doing a weekly newspaper in Westwood. Thank you Miss Friedman at Palms Junior Hi for teaching me to type. The one skill I learned that has come in handy.
Then nursing school at Cal State Long Beach where I got my BS.
Started working at Kaiser in Harbor City while I was in nursing school as a surgical tech in the ED. When I got my license, I worked as an ED nurse there. When I graduated I was promoted to Charge Nurse on nights. That almost killed me. Did that for seven months and told them to either promote or demote me, but I wante...Expand for more
d off nights. So, seven months out of nursing school, I was an assistant administrator in the ED. Worked with a great group of people in administration who I am still friends with and we actually did some good work. Did that for 2 1/2 years and then got promoted to Department Administrator of an out patient satellite clinic in Carson. Did that for about six months and then became a house husband for 8 years... the best time being with my son other than his friends would say "You're just like Josh." I don't know how good that is.
I worked as a staff nurse on Catalina Island, a 12 bed hospital with an ER. It is considered the smallest, most remote hospital in California... and I worked nights. Who would have ever thunk? Since September of 2009, I have been the Manager of Clinical Informatics, which is getting the clinical side of our little hospital computerized.
I also worked for four years at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in the Hyperbaric Medicine Department part time and commuted from Catalina by boat. I gave that job up in November 2006. A great job, great people, interesting patients, but too hard traveling and working full time on the island. I'm no kid anymore.
2014 was a mixed bag
In April, 2014 I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, had major surgery and then joined my son and family in Flagstaff, AZ to get chemo and radiation. During that time our second grand daughter arrived. In November they told me I was in remission. It has taken me four months to feel marginally better.
I also retired from my job at Catalina Island Medical Center after 18 years.
Sadly, my wife of 43 years died in January, 2015.
A big hole has been left in my life.
I will be moving to Denver, CO to be near my family and to get any more cancer care I need.
I know one thing, I miss SoCal weather, but not the draught. I never thought I'd find myself back in snow.
Military
Did boot camp in SD, Hospital Corps School in SD, FMS at Camp Pendelton, OR school in SD. The rest of my enlistment I spent at Long Beach Naval Hospital, working in the OR and then Hyperbaric Chamber. I was one of the lucky ones. Never went to Viet Nam, never was on a ship, never left southern California except for an AMA convention in Atlantic City monitoring a Navy display on Hyperbaric. Lived in Marina del Rey and commuted to LB. No one even knew I was in the navy, not even the master chief (E-9) in personnel, which pissed him off mightily.
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