Richard MacDonald:
CLASS OF 1949
Classical High SchoolClass of 1949
Springfield, MA
University of OklahomaClass of 1957
Oklahoma city, OK
Bowdoin CollegeClass of 1953
Brunswick, ME
Forest Park Junior High SchoolClass of 1946
Springfield, MA
Washington Elementary SchoolClass of 1943
Springfield, MA
Richard's Story
Life
Bowdoin College, Univ. of Okla, New Haven College; USAF 4 yrs, Engineer and Programmer for IBM 31 yrs to 1987, Consulting (Software) 15years, Retired to Fort Collins, CO in 2000.
Consulting on Web sites, PC's for non-profits and friends, doing production work and acting at Bas Bleu Theatre in Fort Collins. Appeared in "The Sisters Rosenzweig" and "A 1940's Christmas Carol" at Bas Bleu from October through December 2007. Was in "Wings" from March 29 through May 4, 2008 and as in "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" in February 2009. Acting is my third career although it is really more of an avocation than a vocation - i.e. no real pay.
Workplace
After leaving the Air Force, had several jobs for about a year, then sent to work for IBM Field Engineering in Springfield Mass. After training, assigned to New Haven, Conn. and worked as a Customer Engineer until 1964. Then went on temporary assignment to Poughkeepsie, NY working on OS/360 until 1966. Then transferred to Arlington VA Field Support as Advisory Technical Specialist. 3 years there, then to White Plains, NY division headquarters as Advisory Programmer. 15 months there and moved to Boulder, CO. Worked in various positions there until 1987 retirement.
After retirement, did consulting mostly in PC programming until 2000 when I retired fully. Now I'm engaged, part time, in my third career as an actor in local community theaters. I've appeared in several productions at Bas Bleu Theatre in the last two years as well as doing backstage and office work there. I'm still doing software and a bit of consulting for local non-profits and friends as volunteer work. We were active volunteers for President-elect Barack Obama.
I also maintain several web sites for myself (as myself and Eldernerd) and non-profits such as The Opera Fort Collins Guild and our local Newcomers Club.
Health: Came down with hydrocephalus which started to be serious in 2001. A shunt was installed in April 2002 which stopped...Expand for more
the pressure and gradually returned to abnormal during the next year or two with very few after effects. The symptoms of this condition mimic Alzheimer's so anyone having those symptoms should be checked out by an MRI or CT scan of the head and neck to insure it isn't this condition which can generally be controlled by a simple operation. In 2010 a kidney cancer was discovered accidentally and one kidney was removed in late October.
Travel: We travel extensively, mostly in Europe and mostly on our own. We've been to most Western European countries, Scotland,Wales, Ireland and England. We've enjoyed France the most, having been to almost every part with Italy, Great Britain, Portugal and Germany a close second. We've been most welcomed in Scotland (because of our name) and Italy and Wales because of the people. We expect to spend more time in Italy, Ireland and Austria in the future if the economy gets better. In 2008 we visited the US Northwest and the Victoria/Vancouver part of Canada as well as The Rhine from Basel to Antwerp and much of the Mosel area.
In 2009 we visited France, spending 5 days in Rouen and 14 in Paris. In 2010, we toured Oregon and visited friends in Southern Washington. In September 2011 we toured New England and Quebec and visited our families for 3 weeks.
From 2011 until tJanuary 2013I was volunteering at the local Humane Society for 4 hours per week. Half of that time s spent photographing animals that are up for adoption and the rest is socializing with dogs and cats and heling train dogs. I had to drop it after a minor stroke in December, 2012.
Other: In 2007 we remodeled our kitchen. It was the fourth one I've done and the first in which I didn't do the cabinetry myself, choosng to buy custom cabinets instead.
After a minor stroke on Dec 6, 2012, I spent two nights in the hospital, but they let me go then since it was a fairly minor clot. I now have no restrictions although my balance is not too good yet.
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