Linda Powell:
CLASS OF 1968
Patterson Co-Op High SchoolClass of 1968
Dayton, OH
Lincoln Elementary SchoolClass of 1964
Dayton, OH
Linda's Story
Hi, everyone, I've enjoyed reading the profiles from our class of 1968. As for me, I am enjoying my retirement and the free time that accompanies it.
I married Tom Frazier from Belmont HS in 1969, and he was drafted and sent to Vietnam within the year. We had one daughter, Lori, born in 1974, but the marriage ended in 1980. We remained good friends until his death several years ago. I met my current husband, Fred Walker, at NCR, and we live in Centerville. I have also lived in Franklin and Springboro, Ohio.
Probably the most remarkable fact about me is that I have undergone two kidney transplants. I was diagnosed with PKD (polycystic kidney disease) at the age of 21, but my renal function was fine until I was 46--the same age as my mother was when she died from the same disease. In 1996 my younger brother unhesitatingly donated a kidney to me. When that transplanted kidney failed in 2005, I underwent dialysis treatments three times per week for ten months until another matched kidney was given to me---this time from my stepdaughter. Believe me, I feel truly blessed. Without a transplant, I would have led a totally different life. The best news is that my daughter did not inherit the gene, so she cannot pass it on. In the 80s I volunteered as the Dayton coordinator for the PKD Foundation. Today I handle registration for the Dayton/Cincinnati annual Walk for PKD each September to raise research funds.
I worked at NCR Corporation for more than 35 years, including my high school years and two separate stints after graduation. (I had a break in service after my daughter was born when I stayed home for three years.) I held positions in several divisions as an administrative assistant and then as a corporate event planner. NCR was an excellent place to work, and I took full advantage of the outstanding benefits. As an event planner, I enjoyed traveling the country for site visits and conferences. As an administrative assistant, I traveled to numerous cities to attend annual professional development courses sponsored by IAAP. I must say that I was thoroughly shook up in 2009 when the CEO abruptly moved NCR operations to Georgia, and I felt even worse when I had to train my replacement! The only bright spot was that I received full severance pay for six months, and then I was eligible for unemployment benefits for six months while I searched for a new role.
At the end of 2010, I accepted an executive assistant position at a much smaller, privately-owned construction business. I supported the owner, and I completed applications for the company to renew MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) certifications. The position ended ten months later after the FBI (yes, that FBI) enter...Expand for more
ed the office, seized all the company files, accused the owner of not being a minority, and effectively shut down the pursuit of future MBE projects. My work at this firm was done. I again received unemployment benefits, which lasted until I reached the age of 62. I never imagined that I would be so happy to reach this age!
My thirties seemed to pass by in a blur. In 1986 I enrolled at Sinclair on a part-time basis, mostly because NCR offered a tuition-refund plan. To complete my degree requirements, I chose to test out of the required shorthand and typing classes. As it was in high school, I aced the shorthand tests and scraped by with low Cs in typing. It does not matter if I am 17 or 37, I am unable to type accurately with a timer! Growing up, I never planned to become an administrative assistant. I attended Coop because I thought it would be cool to earn spending money while I was finishing high school. I finally graduated from Sinclair with an associate degree in Office Technology in 1992.
Another step in my career began in 1987 when I joined the local chapter of the International Association of Administrative Assistants (IAAP). During the early years I was an observer, just attending the dinner meetings to hear the featured speaker and departing before the business session began. I was attending Sinclair, and I did not have time for any other responsibilities. Eleven years later, I was serving as president of our 110-member chapter. I was way outside my comfort zone, but I am glad I did it. I am still an IAAP member, but all the chapters dissolved in June 2015. The justification is that younger admins do not want to attend meetings, and the organization is trying to reinvent itself. I miss the meetings a lot, but I made lifelong friends that I see regularly.
For fun, I love to read novels and biographies, go to movies, and attend theater events at the Shuster, especially musicals. Sometime in the 80s I began to track all of the live concerts I had attended. Today my list contains more than 115 artists or groups, beginning with the Beach Boys at Hara Arena in 1964 to Leon Russell at the Victoria Theater a few months ago. I also enjoy attending local festivals, although I find that I buy fewer craft items and more food treats. In the summer, Fred and I have season tickets for the Dayton Dragons, and we spend many enjoyable hours with our grandchildren, who range in age from five to nineteen. In a few months we will be heading back to Disneyworld, my favorite place on earth.
As many of us have learned, each life is touched by good and bad times. After my two renal transplants, I definitely believe that each new day is a gift from God.
Submitted in May 2014
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