John Crawford:
CLASS OF 1971
Eisenhower High SchoolClass of 1971
Rialto, CA
Michigan State University - EngineeringClass of 1982
East lansing, MI
California State Polytechnic UniversityClass of 1976
Pomona, CA
San Bernardino Valley CollegeClass of 1974
San bernardino, CA
John's Story
2022 Update: I've been a little slow updating this after the 50th reunion last year. It was nice to see so many people after such a long time. We knew each other at the beginning of our life and now that we're at the other end it's neat to see people again. I'm still living in Scottsdale, Arizona and still do mechanical engineering work from time to time. Engineering was something I enjoyed very much. It was always interesting, educational and challenging. I can't say that every engineer enjoyed it as much as I did but I doubt very much that anyone enjoyed it more than I did.
I enjoy living in Scottsdale, with the possible exception of July and August when it gets seriously hot. It's not too bad if you get out early in the day. There is enough time to go hiking or bike riding and get back home before it gets too hot. The rest of the year is pretty decent. One plus from this situation is that during the hot summer months the rest of the northern hemisphere is very pleasant and there are lots of interesting places to visit and spend some time exploring, both domestically and internationally. It's good motivation for me to get out of here for a while and see more of the world.
I enjoy goofing around with cars and have a nice shop behind my house where I can do this sort of thing. While most of my working life was spent doing analytical engineering work I still have the auto mechanic skills I developed during the first few years following high school. I took automotive classes at San Bernardino Valley College and worked for Tom Finneran at the 76 station on the NW corner of Riverside & Baseline. I worked for Tom for almost 3 years and he's still a good friend to this day. I was very fortunate to work for him during that period of my life. It was very educational and a good introduction to problem solving and other things that served me well during my engineering career.
My interest in cars eventually led me into getting an education in engineering and that opened the door to a very enjoyable ca...Expand for more
reer. I could easily work another 20 years or more doing analytical modeling and simulation work without any problem, but time is passing and there are other things I want to do while I'm still able to do them.
I left California in 1980 and have enjoyed living in different places. I began by spending a couple years in Michigan finishing my education and then I worked in Boca Raton, Florida (2 years), Charlotte, North Carolina (6 years), Cincinnati, Ohio (almost 4 years), Baden, Switzerland (around a year and a half), south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 6 months and then Phoenix metro area where I have remained. I think Scottsdale is the best place I've lived so far. I have yet to develop the itch to go elsewhere. I always keep an open mind and wouldn't be against packing everything I own and moving somewhere else but so far I haven't found a place that makes me want to leave. Maybe I need to explore more places!
One plus of making it to this age is that it's a great time of life to see the world to a greater extent. Spend a month or two each year living in a new place. There's a lot to be said for living somewhere else for a while and doing the things that are unique to that area. When I lived in Florida I took up scuba diving. When I was in North Carolina I got involved in white water rafting. kayaking and outdoor activities. When I was in Switzerland I did a lot of hiking in the Alps. In Arizona I do a lot of hiking, bike riding, ATV riding, Jeeping and that sort of thing. Each location offers activities that are unique to that area and are worth getting involved in. Well, maybe Cincinnati didn't have a whole lot of exciting things to do but I had a very good time there anyway! (Great job, good friends, etc.)
It's over 50 years since high school and a lot has happened since then. While I remember how things started and appreciate that period of my life I spend the vast majority of my time thinking about the future. Yesterday was fun but with some effort tomorrow can be even better.
John
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