John Farris:
CLASS OF 1950
Albuquerque High SchoolClass of 1950
Albuquerque, NM
John's Story
Life
After ABQ High School graduation in 1950, I went to UNM for 4 years and studied mechanical engineering. Since the Korean War was on I opted for Air Force ROTC. Met my future wife, Jo Margaret Gore (from Artesia, NM) at UNM, and we got married over Easter vacation in 1954. We both graduated UNM in June 1954 and I went to work for GE in Schenectady, NY until I was called in October 1954 to active duty at WPAFB in Dayton, Ohio for 2 years where I was responsible for aircraft hydraulic valves & filters.
While working in Dayton, I met & worked with Dr. Pall, the founder & president of a small company with new developments in filters for liquids and gases. He asked me to join his company in Glen Cove, LI, NY as soon as my tour finished.
Initially at Pall Corp., I designed improved manufacturing tools and methods for making filters, but then got involved in trying to solve customer field problems, which led me to become Sales Manager, then VP of Sales & Marketing for Aircraft Filters. After several years I opted to start a new division concentrating on filters for industrial lube & hydraulic systems where after several years I became President. After several years of success, I was asked to become a VP of Pall Corp where I sta...Expand for more
rted new businesses within Pall. As you might expect, some of these ventures were very successful and some were not. My last assignment for Pall was to coordinate tech transfer from the DOE National Labs such as Los Alamos, Oak Ridge & Sandia. I retired from Pall after 41 1/2 years & I consulted for them for an additional 5+ years. When I joined Pall Corp. it had less than 200 employees, but when I retired it had over 9,000 employees. I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time.
Jo Margaret & I moved back to ABQ at the end of 1998 and are enjoying our retirement, the wonderful weather and the magnificent views. We arrange to periodicly see our four children & 9 grandkids who live in CO, MA & TX.
I am still singing Bass 2 almost every week at the First Presbyterian Church and with the NM Symphony Chorus. I am still flying both gliders and single engine aircraft. I am the Chief Tow Pilot for the ABQ Soaring Club. And I am continuing to do genealogy for our family. My health has been reasonably good and I am fully enjoying life. Jo Margaret is still an active professional violinist and I attend many of her concerts as well as others where we attend togather. Thus far, life has been a great ride !!
31 Oct 2004.
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