Paul Spock:
CLASS OF 1965
South Plainfield High SchoolClass of 1965
South plainfield, NJ
Paul's Story
Life
Life after school has been pretty good to me. Right after high school graduation in 1965, I met my future wife Lorraine and two years later we got engaged. Six months later, in 1967, I left college to join the Army and once I was settled into military life we were married. During this time we lived in New Jersey, Georgia and Louisiana and by the end of 1968, just before I left for Viet Nam, we had our first child, a daughter, Wendy Anne. I know that my year overseas was rough on Lorraine and Wendy, but a year later, in 1969, we were reunited and I left active Army service. In 1971 we bought our first home in South Plainfield, and in 1972 we had our second child, a son, Paul Jr. In 1976 we moved into a bigger home in High Bridge, N.J. and soon after we had our third child, a daughter, Sara Marie. Ten years later, in 1986, we got a huge surprise in the form of our fourth child, a daughter, Lauren Melissa. This surprise was occurring just as we were moving to central Pennsylvania into our dream home. This was a 6000 square foot brick Cape Cod with a separate 1500 square foot apartment, five acres, an in-ground pool and a bass stocked pond. When we moved, Lorraine took her mother and brother with us so that she wouldn't miss them and they took up residence in the apartment. The move to Happy Valley, Pa. must have been a good idea because Wendy met her husband here and they were married in 1992. Paul Jr. and Sara also met their spouses here and they were both married in 1998. With three of the four children out of the huge house, Lorraine and I decided to become Foster Parents and over the years we had three foster children, Charity, Hope and Nick, all of whom are now grown and gone. In 1999 we decided to downsize and moved to a smaller home in State College so that Lorraine and I could be closer to work. Lorraine currently works as a Realtor for REMAX Centre Realty in State College and I work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the Penn State Campus. Lauren still lives at home and is attending the Penn State College of Education and hopes to be a Special Education teacher someday. Wendy and her husband Scott moved back to New Jersey and they have three sons, Brennan, Samuel and Oliver. Paul Jr. and his wife Lisa live about ten miles from us and Sara and her husband Danny live about two miles away. We get to see Paul Jr., Lisa, Sara and Danny almost daily and we see Wendy, Scott and the grandsons about once a month. Every year we take several vacations together; this Summer Paul Jr., Sara and I went on a trout fishing vacation and this winter Lorraine, Wendy, Scott and the grandsons are going to Disney and on a cruise to the Cayman Islands. We also enjoy many activities here including Penn State sports, concerts, theater, etc. Lorraine and I just celebrated our thirty eighth Wedding Anniversary and we love each other today more than ever. The last piece of news is that I have just had my first novel published. The name of the book is Psychedelic Six and it's a story about the Vietnam War. The book is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders.com and Trafford publishing. To see a synopsis and excerpts, go to Trafford.com/05-3202. To see family photos go to hometown.aol.com/paulspspock/SPOCKPIX.html
Workplace
I guess my work profile started when I was 12 yrs. old. That's when I got my first job working during the summers for Wiedermann's Farm on Sampton Ave. in So. Plainfield. I helped old man Wiedermann do the weeding, feed the animals and harvest the crops. I was paid $0.25/hr and was glad to get it. My grandfather worked as a caretaker for Holy Redeemer Cemetery right next door, so I got to walk home with him occasionally. When I got to high school, I just moved down the road to Stockoff's Farm on Clinton Ave. and did the same work there for four summers through high school. Farmer Stockoff started me out at $0.75/hr. and in my last summer I was up to a hefty $1.50/hr. I left the Army in 1969 with two years of college under my belt and landed my first real job with Beecham Pharmaceuticals in Piscataway, N.J. as a lab technician. It was at Beecham that I was introduced to and fell in love with the science of chromatogr...Expand for more
aphy. After two years, in 1971, I left Beecham and joined Gollub Analytical Service, a small, independent, environmental lab in Berkeley Heights, N.J. I made this move because I wanted to do something to benefit people and the world and I thought that I could help improve the environment in some small way. I worked at Gollub for eleven years and during this time I honed my chromatography skills to the point that I was recruited by Exxon Research & Engineering. At this point I was married with three children, so for the sake of my family, I decided to take the attractive salary offered by Exxon in 1981. At Exxon I was provided with all of the latest and greatest chromatographic tools and training and also became computer proficient. After five years at Exxon I had become an expert in chromatographic science and was subsequently recruited by Supelco to start a Petroleum & Chemical Research Group. Despite lacking a Bachelors Degree, Supelco was willing to make me a Research Chemist and provide me with a small staff. After much discussion, we decided as a family to move to central Pennsylvania in 1986, to a place called Happy Valley, the home of Penn State University. While at Supelco, I earned a Business Degree from Penn State and an Engineering Degree from Kennedy Western University. After seven years at Supelco, I had positioned the company as the world leader in Petroleum & Chemical chromatography and I had become a world authority in chromatographic science. I've presented seminars and lectures on chromatographic science throughout the U.S. and all over the world including Mexico, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Japan. I also received three U.S. Patents for my innovations in chromatographic science. By now however, I was bored with the business and industry career and when Supelco was bought out by a larger company, I jumped at the chance for an early retirement so I could take it easy and decide my future. I took an extended vacation, about one year, and did some chromatographic consulting work in order to add other areas of expertise to my resume, such as Food and Beverage science and Agricultural science. Finally, in 1996, I landed my dream job. I now work for the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Penn State University. I have my own laboratory building on campus and I run the Northeast U.S. Water Quality Laboratory responsible for monitoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. I also work with USDA Scientists and Penn State Professors on agricultural projects. The best part is we're not a for profit business so the pressure and stress of the competitive business world is gone. In addition, Penn State offers many great things to do such as sports, concerts, theater, classes, etc. And the icing on the cake is since I work for the Federal Government, my Army time is counted in a formula including combat service and being wounded in action that results in my receiving six weeks vacation per year. What a country!!
Military
After two years of college, I felt that I was slowly being brainwashed into the American, capitalistic way of life. I was engaged at the time and wanted to experience the worldly life before I got married. Since the U.S. was at war with Viet Nam, I joined the Army to serve my country just like my father did before me in World War II. I volunteered to be a Combat Infantryman and was accepted to Non-Commissioned Officers School. After six months in the Army, I graduated as a Staff Sergeant and then served another six months as a Drill Instructor in Fort Polk, Louisiana. After one year I was sent to Viet Nam and served there for thirteen months as a Combat Platoon Leader. During my combat service I earned a Purple Heart, a Gallantry Cross and several other medals and ribbons. During my stay in Southeast Asia I also had the opportunity to visit many other places in the Pacific Rim including Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, Philippines, Macao and Kuala Lumpur. I was honorably discharged and subsequently served four more years in the Army Reserve. In retrospect, I joined the Army as an immature twenty year old boy and left the Army as a mature twenty two year old man.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Reunions
Photos
