Michael Smiley:
CLASS OF 1980
Pine-Richland High SchoolClass of 1980
Gibsonia, PA
Pine Elementary SchoolClass of 1974
Gibsonia, PA
Michael's Story
Life
single parent
pittsburgh sports
manchester united soccer
irish history
glass is half full, not half empty
travel
My life started at 2:00 AM on December 27, 1961 at Bellevue Suburban General Hospital. We lived in Bellevue to October 1964 when my family moved to Old State Road in Pine Twp. That is where most of my childhood memories happened at. There was a group of kids my age and a little bit older. My schooling began in Kindergarten at St. Thomas In The Fields Church.I remember Tim Schants, Sue Goertz and Cynthia Young as classmates n Kindergarten and i apologise to any classmates i omitted here. I went to grade school at Pine Elementary and CCD classes at st. Killian in Mars.My favorite subject was science and I loved playing sports and I played baseball most of my childhood. Pine Elementary was a small school with one of every grade until 6th grade when the Kids from Washington Elementary came to the school. I liked it because I met new friends and got reaquainted with Tim Schantz who was my best friend from then through Junior High. I would like to mention everybi=ody but it would take up too much space and I may bore everybody reading here. I then went to Pine Junior High School ann then Richland High School.In my 6th grade year my mom and dad divorced and my dad took a job where he traveled a lot. that wa shard on me and led t mre being quiet and withdrawn except with my family and friends. I got to see interesting places when i visited my dad in thesummer and also he came here for Christmas but i mised having a dad around full time.The best memories of my dad come from his time in Bridgeman, Michigan whereI spent lots of time at Lake Michigan fishing and swimming. It was one of my dad's favorite places too and when he died in 2007, he requested to be creamated and his ashes spread in Lake Michigan.Upon graduating from Richland, I went to Pitt-Bradford and my poor study habits and a drinking problem caused me to wash out in my freshman year. I enjoyed my time on the baseball team that year and our trip to Toronto for a tournament.It took me to 1984 to get my drinkingundercontrol and that is after i totaled my car and a telephone pole and walked away with no injuries. They say God watches over the drunk and the stupid and I was both that night and iI figured that was my one chance and I better get my act together
After washing out of college, i worked a while and decided to go live wit...Expand for more
h my dad for a change of scenery and to find myself so to speak.I lived with him in Michigan and went with him when he got transfered to Kansas and from there I went to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Arcadia, CA. I loved it there but i couldnt find work since it was in the middle of the recession in 1982. My Uncle's ister in law hired me back here and i took the oppertuinty to come back to PA. The job was in the Kitchen at Ohio Valley Hospital In McKees Rocks , PA. I got my first apartment in Bellevue when i moved back here and also started night school at Penn Technical Institute for Electronics Technology. I graduated in 1986 and looked for work in the field with no luck.The jobs were payng less than I was making at the hospital. iI contioued to Point Park University to obtani an Electrical Engineering Technology when i wasn't finding the type of job i wanted. In the meantime i got promoted at the hospital to the Purchasing department where I am to this day.I will explain that as I go here.My grandmother died in 1987 and i took it hardbecause she was a second mother to me and she was the first person close to me to die when i was old enough to remember.I was doing well in Point Park as I was taking a few classes at night while working. I made the Dean's list and National Honor Society.
In 1992 I met my firsr wife Dawn and we Had My only child Rebecc onMay 7, 1993. Dawn left in 1996 and I became a single dad at that time. I had to stop my schooling atthat time to concentrate on being a single parent. i had lots of help from my mother and still to this day she is a big help
In 2001 my daughter was diagnosed with Tourettes Syndrome and since then we have been working with the school and councilers to get through school and life. I was married again in 2000 and my second wife and my daughter hated eachother and that was too much of a strain on all of us and we divorced in 2003. I have been single since then and working 2 jobs now. My daughter is going to North Hills High school now and will graduate in 2011.
maybe I would have gone further professionally if I didn't raise my daughter but I woould not change a thing. I was a volunteer not a victum in this as iI tell everyone. I am glad i fought for custody and I would not change a thing.This is my story and if anybody has questiions, i will be happy to answer them. Its impossible to list everything here so there are some things i have not mentioned here
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