Robert Chope:
CLASS OF 1970
William Tennent High SchoolClass of 1970
Warminster, PA
Rider UniversityClass of 1974
Lawrenceville, NJ
George Washington High SchoolClass of 1973
Philadelphia, PA
Archbishop Wood High SchoolClass of 1972
Warminster, PA
Cardinal Dougherty High SchoolClass of 1970
Philadelphia, PA
Robert's Story
Life
Where have all the hippies gone? Well, I suppose that most like myself have joined the establishment, at least in appearance. My wife and I have one daughter and one grandson. After a disappointing experience in the political arena in the early 70's and an ill-fated business venture in the mid-70's, I spent 30 years working in local government. During this time I earned my BA in Political Science and my MA in Public Administration. Since taking early retirement in 2005, I have been employed as a consultant in the mass transit industry.
My wife, Betsy, is a 1973 graduate of Wm. Tennent and is now a Medical Lab Tech at an area hospital. We didn't meet, however, until late 1974. She was a Democratic Committee person in Warminster and I was one in Southampton. Our paths crossed at political meetings. We now reside in Horsham, PA, just off of Meetinghouse Road for those of you who still live in or remember the area.
My wife and I have traveled extensively, including tracking down my family members still living in Europe. Over the past 25 years I have devoted much time to discovering the varied histories of my wife's and my families, which has taken us to Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, as well as Pennsylvania on our search for information and people. We have also crossed the Atlantic to England, Wales, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Scotland, and Hungary in search of our past. This little hobby has provided us with many interesting experiences. You haven't lived if you never walked into a Records Office in Kosice, Czechoslovakia, during the Communist era and asked for information about people.
I remain active in community causes, principally local historical societies. In fact, my interests generally focus on preservation of the past. I am an active collector in several areas, from coins to antique automobiles. I presently own a 1910 Ford Model T Speedster and a 1973 Cadillac Fleetwood. My next goal is to own a 1934-36 Packard. The problem is that I'm running out of storage space.
Regarding pet...Expand for more
s, which after children appears to be the most discussed topic on this site, our house has been a miniature zoo since our daughter was a child. My wife, Betsy, is into tropical birds (she has more than I can count). We have 4 cats, a couple of turtles and fish. The animal population is actually on the low side at present. In the past we had dogs, snakes, lizards, mice & rats, and countless other small and not so small creatures sharing our home.
I am currently looking forward to really retiring in 3 to 4 years and spending quality time with my grandson and on my hobbies. I may also try my hand at writing the great American novel when I am no longer flying around the U.S. playing consultant. For those of you who do not know, the definition of a consultant is one who borrows your watch to tell you the time.
The ecomonic downturn ended my consulting career earlier than I expected. During the three & a half years of flying to cities I would not have otherwise visited, I find myself ending my career back at SEPTA. Gvien the economy I feel lucky to having worked for an organization that welcomed me back. Although it is not how I wanted my career to end, it could have ended much worse. None of us can adequately plan and control things that are larger than we are as individuals. There is always the possibility that a college teaching opportunity will present itself. This how I wished to end my working life.
As of the end of December 2013 I have been retired. Since then I have simply enjoyed not working. SEPTA has asked me to return twice over the last six months to take on special projects, but as each day passes I am less likely to do so even if SEPTA can work out its procedural problems with bringing back a retiree without forcing me to suspend my pension payments. So, I am not planning of returning to the office. I would still welcome a teaching opportunity if one came my way. Otherwise, I will play with the grandchildren, spend time at our mountain place, travel, and work on my houses and assorted hobbies.
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