Robert Saunders:
CLASS OF 1963
Hilliard High SchoolClass of 1963
Hilliard, OH
Muskingum CollegeClass of 2012
New concord, OH
Ohio Dominican CollegeClass of 1972
Columbus, OH
Ohio Dominican UniversityClass of 1972
Columbus, OH
Hilliard High SchoolClass of 1963
Hilliard, OH
Robert's Story
It was great to see all of you who returned for our 45th reunion in Sept 2008 at the old Hilliard High School.
From the vantage point of 64 years, I can honestly say its been an interesting journey. After high school, like a lot of us, I took off to college(Muskingum). After a couple of years I transferred back to OSU, got caught in the draft, and got married to Cyndy Mote.
I joined the Air Force and spent 3 years, 9 months, and 27 day working for Uncle Sam. My last year was in Viet Nam (69-70), where I missed the birth of my first born, Matthew.
Out of the service I completed my last two years of college at ODC and started to work for the Travelers Ins. Co., in Columbus. We had a daughter, Meghan in 1974. Then in 1977 I was moved into a home office position in life, health, dental,computer claims administration, and remained their for 20 years. Then my group was downsized and sold, and I got a golden handshake (1992).
We sold our house, put our furniture in storage, and moved into a basement apartment for two years so that we could keep our daughter, Meg, at Tulane, son Matthew at UCONN, and me in graduate school getting a Masters Degree in Special Education.(I always wanted to be a teacher). The move was one of the great adventures of our lives. We found out that we were not defined by all the stuff we had, but that when it got down to hard times its all about family, relationships, and sticking together.
After I got my Masters I taught emotionally disturbed high school students who were kicked out of alternate public school programs. I've really enjoyed my new career and tell all of my friends that being downsized at Travelers was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
Because both Cyndy and I were teachers, we had our summers off together, and travel became a passion for us. We've been to many interesting places: Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Maritime Provinces, the Canadian Rockies, France, England, Germany, Australia, all over the U.S., including a five week trip to every major and many minor Civil War sites. But the most exciting cha...Expand for more
pter in our lives has been China.
It started when Cyndy went to live and teach in a city called Jiangmen, in Guangdong Province for a month. We,ve made friends with many families in the area and I been back twice, and Cyndy five times, to enjoy vacations and travels inside China with them.
Our children are absolute delights. Meghan lives in Atlanta with her husband, Richard, and Simone (3 years old), and Tate ( born 10/23/2009). They have a business that provides speakers for corporate events, and have found it interesting to act as host/hostess for the speakers. They've had a chance to talk with people like Jack Welch, Bob Costas, Cal Ripken, the first President Bush, and Malcolm Gladwell. They have a very interesting life that is always on the move.
Matthew is single and now lives in Shanghai. He went for a year but now thinks it will be at least ten. He's learning Mandarin and love living in a city of 20 million people. He went to teach English for a private company, but is now a manager of one of its offices and plays music in many different bands around Shanghi with a crew of expats that he's teamed up with. He misses his family in the states, and his high school ESL students in Chapel Hill N.C., but love living in a vibrant big city that for him is affordable, and safe.
Well that's about 45 years in a very small nutshell. We retired in the summer of 08, and have been traveling ever since. Cyndy ended up in China for two months and I have spent time in Atlanta and Maui. We both return home on 5/6/09 and spent the summer entertaining friends form all over the world, and traveling the east coast from Maine to GA.. Matt came home for a two week visit in Oct., and we spent time with Meghan, Richard, Simone, and our newest grandchild, Tate Elliot Green, born Oct.23rd, for Christmas. Then for Feb. and March, we'll be in New Zealand and Australia. Matt may visit again in May, in Aug/Sept. we'll be in Maui, and we might move to Atlanta sometime in 2010.
Life is such a great journey.
Just to let you all know, I'm on Facebook now if you would like to contact me.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Photos
