Michael Farrell:
CLASS OF 1963
Anaheim High SchoolClass of 1963
Anaheim, CA
Michael's Story
My family and I lived in a small tract home, next to where Katella HS is today. If I stayed late at school, I had to walk the 3 miles. When I graduated from AHS, I was just 17 andÃÂ for some stupid reason my parents put me ahead 1 year, in elementary school. After AHS, I went to Fullerton Community College for 1 year. I wasn't ready for college, so I went into the US Navy as a corpsman, stationed at NAF Naples, Italy. There I met Dr. Angela Della Volpe. We got married and had 2 daughters who then had 3 children. She and I were married for 12 years. She just retired from CSUF as Dean of Humanities. Yes, I am fluent in Italian.
After military service I got a Bachelor Degree at CSUF in Biology and Chemistry. Following graduation, I worked for:
Baxter-Travenol (Hyland Labs) in Glendale, CA, making human coagulation enzymes
Donor Life in Seattle, WA, doing human blood separation
Beckman Labs in Palo Alto, CA, making synthetic peptides
American Hospital (Bentley Labs) in Irvine CA, making cardiovascular oxygenators for open-heart surgery
Agro-Clonics in Anaheim, CA making woody plant tissue culturing systems.
I then married my current wife: Karen Negri Farrell. She graduated from Kennedy HS in Buena Park, CA and CSUF with a major in English. We have been married for 23 years and raised my step-daughter who has 2-1/2 boys. For the rest of my professional career, I drove my wife ÃÂnuts doing what I wanted to do. I have always had a capricious mind set, yet I was able to make decent money and have a great time!
From an early age, I was fascinated with computers and software, especially 3D computer modeling - Solid Works. I have several US Patents in biological technology and mechanical fasteners. I was lucky and got a job out of my prior focus, at Alpha Micro Systems in Irvine CA doing support for minicomputer production.
After that, I supervised system analysts/programmers at BAI in Orange, C...Expand for more
A, who developed and sold enterprise software using the Pick software language.
My family had a company: Compass International, headquartered in Fullerton, CA. It was a spinÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂoff of another company we started in 1962: Ronman Products at 627 S. East Street in Anaheim. I would have to work there many days after school, but I learned a lot about business. Compass Intl became the largest importer and distributor in North America of drywall screws ÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂà200 ocean containers per month. They needed to have a Quality Assurance function established and engineering support at their Asian production sites, so I did it. The technology was mostly cold-heading and threading. After several years, I found it really hard to work for my father, so I left, yet I learned how to do business overseas. However, today, my Dad and I are great friends. My father lives in Laguna Beach. My mother is deceased.
I then went to work for James Hardie USA, an Australian company, doing outsourcing of product design and production of parts, components and finished assemblies AÃÂ a lot of injection molding, electronics, and progressive-die stamping.
I found there was a need from several companies to outsource products overseas so I started a new company doing outsourcing. Yes, I was one of those 'ÃÂbuggers'ÃÂ who took American products and jobs off-shore. I did projects in Italy, Israel, China, India, Japan, and Taiwan. Today, I am totally against outsourcing as it has killed the US middle class. I am thinking of writing a book on how to bring 'ÃÂblue collar'ÃÂ jobs back to the US. However, we as a nation, have really forgotten how to manufacture.
I retired at the age of 60 and live in Murrieta, CA. I am now 69. My wife and I spend a lot of time traveling and helping with the grandkids. We are active in the Temecula Valley Wine Society.
Hope to hear from you,
Mike Farrell
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