William Phares:
CLASS OF 1961
Gardner South Wilmington High SchoolClass of 1961
Gardner, IL
Bloomington High SchoolClass of 1961
Bloomington, IL
Reed-Custer High SchoolClass of 1961
Braidwood, IL
Braidwood Elementary SchoolClass of 1957
Braidwood, IL
Heyworth Elementary SchoolClass of 1957
Heyworth, IL
William's Story
Life
Born in Bloomington, IL. Moved to Heyworth at age 4. Started grade school there and moved to Essex during 3rd grade. Moved to Braidwood in 1954; went to Reed-Custer first 2 years of High School. Moved to Bloomington for 3rd year of H.S.; moved to Gardner and graduated there. Started working at Parkinson Printing Co. in 1961 right after H.S. Lived single in Gardner until December of 1964. Moved to Bloomington, continued as a printer, got married had 3 kids, moved to Phoenix,AZ area. My 4th and 5th kids were born in Phoenix. My last child only lived about 36 hours; and is buried in Avondale, AZ.
I was still working as a printer until 16 years after HS when the paper started bringing in computers and laying off printers.
In 1976, I went back to school and became a computer programmer. I have been working in what is now called I.T. since becomming a programmer after graduating from technical school in 1977.
Divorced first wife in 1982; remarried in 1984; divorced in 1986.
In 1988, got remarried and happily celebrating 22 years this next Sept.
Have been helping Ruth, my wife raise her 2 children since 1988;
they are now 27 & 35 years old.
Underwent heart-valve replacement surgery in No...Expand for more
vember, 1999. My dr. says my heart has probably never been functioning better in my entire life.
In 1996, I was ordained a Deacon of the Catholic Church. Serving at the church of Saint Joachim and St. Ann Parish in Sun City, AZ.
I was pushed into retirement during a cut-back in 2004, and found that technollogy had passed me by. I began working at a retirement village as security officer, and after 6 months was promoted to communications-officer. I run the dispatch office for security during the day, answering phones and alarms from multiple sites. We are non-profit, but own five different retirement villages. Two in Mesa, one in Tucson, one in Cottonwood, and the one I work at in Phoenix
It is sometimes very hectic, with alarms and phones constantly ringing, but I seem to enjoy it. At times, I seem to have people's lives in my hands as I call 911 to save resident's lives. I do enjoy the elderly, and get a satisfaction in helping them to survive and have a good live in their declining years.
In 2010, we moved to Coolidge, AZ; to be closer to our son and his family. He worked at AZ State Prison in Florence, and lived near there!
BY THE WAY, I NEVER WENT TO SUNNYSLOPE HIGH, MY WIFE DID!
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