Jack Eichholz:  

Jack Paul Eichholz Jackson Randolph Steele (a temporary legal name; long story) Jackson Paul Medcalf-Eichholz (my legal married name) I graduated in June 1967. Took the summer off, including a trip to Honolulu. I went to Navy boot camp in September 1967. I was a radioman specializing in cryptography. After my Navy days, I moved back to Anchorage but that didn't last long. I lived in the following places (in order): San Diego, Honolulu, Hartford, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Redwood Shores and back to Anchorage in 1999. Back to Seattle in 2011 and then finally back to Anchorage in January 2021. I worked for the State of Texas, then telecom for 25 years and now retired from State of Alaska employment as a workshop writer/facilitator and Workforce Development Manager. I had the great misfortune to work under the worst Governor in Alaska history, Sarah Palin. Most of my work life I have been a trainer, facilitator, training manager. I did consulting and workshops focused on interpersonal skills, leadership, management skills, diversity, customer service, strategic thinking and emotional intelligence. I did a lot of advocacy/activist work for the gay communities in Seattle and Anchorage. I have an incredibly passionate, loving and healthy marriage with my husband of 32 years, Dan. We live in downtown Anchorage. In 1990. I legally changed my name to Jackson Steele. Long story. In 2020, Dan and I legally changed our last names to Medcalf-Eichholz. I was able to give several presentations on behalf of "Identity" to East High students about growing up gay in Anchorage. That was an incredible experience. Kids are so different than we were. They will talk about issues we only whispered about in my 1964-1967 years at East (before that, Orah Dee Clark Jr High). I remember driving to school on unpaved Bragaw. Now Bragaw is built up and a traffic artery to Northern Lights which is a major east/west artery. Ah, the memories. To Coach White for being the only phys ed coach I ever had who had a clue about dealing with kids like me. A huge thanks and love to John and Kathy, Mary, Jeannie--you know who you are and why. And, to my dear friend Jeff Wood. Myrna gave so much back to Anchorage by building a strong foundation for a healthy Anchorage LGBT community. That war. I joined the navy rather than get drafted. I have no regrets, indeed my Navy days were terrific an...Expand for more