Gordon Meacham:
CLASS OF 1976
Mills High SchoolClass of 1976
Millbrae, CA
Palo Alto Military AcademyClass of 1973
Palo alto, CA
South Hillsborough Elementary SchoolClass of 1969
Hillsborough, CA
Gordon's Story
Life
- Skyline College 1975 -1978; student body president 1978 (Ha!), AA Poli Sci.
-Worked in pizza parlors and a government job 1975 - 1980
- Almost got crushed by a truck in an accident on my first motorcycle while riding to see Meredith Mills 1976
- Acquired my first real motorcycle in 1976; 1965 BSA Lightening.
- Got my first tattoo 1977; a dragon catching the pearl of the sun.
- Married Melissa Smith 1979
- Started work at Mills Hospital 1979; dietary
- Skyline College 1980 to 81; automotive mechanics certificate.
- Transferred to Surgery at Mills 1980
- Separated from Melissa 1981
- Quit cigarettes, started running again 1981
- Transferred to Mills Pathology 1981; did autopsy's/ drew blood.
- CSM 1982 - 1985; AA Machine tool technology and Welding. Got sick from too much work and school right after finals - down for 2 weeks.
- Back with Melissa 1982
- Separated from Melissa 1982
- Back with Melissa 1982
- DeAnza College 1982-83; automotive machining certificate.
- Separated from Melissa 1983
- Started smoking again late 1983
- Divorced from Melissa 1984
- Did my apprenticeship as a machinist 84-85; worked Mills at night.
- Married Virginia Roble 1985; 2 stepsons with the deal; Brandon and Adrian.
- Went to work at Genentech1986; Biochem Mfg.
- Got my first dog in 1986; Mr. Lou.
- Promoted to Maintenance Coordinator/ Mfg at Gene 1987.
- Restored a second 1965 BSA to show condition.
- Went back into the trades as a model maker 1989; David Kelley Design
- Enjoyed the '89 earthquake, not!
- Almost died in an accident on the restored BSA 1989; repaired it and sold it.
- Drafted back into Pharma 1990 as a consultant; Life Sciences Int. worked for Bayer/ Baxter/ Syntex/ ISIS pharmaceuticals.
- My first granddaughter, Mariah, was born August 15, 1991. Brandon and Adrian would have 3 more girls and son by 1998 (totally missed the birth control lecture).
- Finished having my entire back tattooed; Asian dragons and other themes. A shrink thought it was a confession and wanted to talk about it. I didn't.
- Went to work for IDEC Pharm. Corp. 1992
- Virginia became disabled with CNS Lupus 1993
- Relocated to San Diego, took IDEC with me 1993.
- Lived in San Diego from 1993 to 1999; almost lost my mind caring for Virginia, growing a company to 600, and getting a drug on the market.
- B...Expand for more
ought my first Harley 1995.
- Went to Sturgis bike week 1995.
- Rode through the Southwest for 3 weeks on the Harley 1996; my first vacation alone and a trip of a lifetime.
- Got my first leg tattoo 1997; Celtic. No shrinks have seen it.
- Helped get Rituxan approved by the FDA and on the market to treat Non-Hodgkins B cell lymphoma by December 1997.
- Commuted to San Mateo in 1998 to help care for my ailing mother and uncle. Decided to get all the animals in one zoo. Gave notice at IDEC on April 1 1999.
- Took a job at Inhale Therapeutic Systems of San Carlos in 1999, relocated to San Mateo.
- Brandon graduated from college and took a E.E. job with Intel 2000.
- Almost lost my mind again as I held Mr. Lou and they put him to sleep after 14 years, in 2000. I went nuts and added 300 sq. ft. to the back of the house. When I was done I was tired and I didn't cry anymore.
- Reluctantly accepted a Basset and started the cycle all over again in late 2000. It helped Ginny a lot to have another companion. It helped me too after a while. The AKC name is "Roberto Zilla de Santo Pulgas" (Bob Zilla of sainted fleas). The AKC ought to lighten up.
- Left Inhale (now Nektar) in May of 2002 after working with a new boss for 3 weeks - the new boss was out of their mind.
- Took a job in June of 2002 with Cell Genesys; running their Hayward Manufacturing site as the Facilities Manager, then Assoc. Director, finally Director of Engineering and Facilities.
- Dark times starting in '05. First a colleague died in a freak motorcycle accident that April. Next my Uncle died in July. I had a serious 'close call' in an auto accident that Sept. My Mom started getting sick and died in August of '06. My dog got hurt and paralyzed in Oct of '07. My 15 year old nephew died in March of '08.
- The week of October 13th '08; my dog started walking again, my wife almost died, and my company announced they were closing down.
- As of March '09 the dog is doing very well, wife is stable, and I've close down, sold off, and left CGI. It's quiet now. I'm enjoying 'the moment' and thinking about what's next.
- I've been at the corner of 27th Ave. and Garfield Street in San Mateo since '99. There's little green patch of grass out front and a "No Solicitors" sign on the doorÂ
; nothing remarkable, but home nonetheless.
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