Robert Machado:  

Life I was raised by foster parents from the age of 6 until 19. The fact that I had this opportunity was of much importance as it was the mainforce in creating my character. I learned work ethics as a young child working on the farm and to this day it still applies. I was one of only a handful of young people who were granted junior CA drivers licenses at the age of thirteen,so that I could drive hay trucks to the mountains where my folks had a ranch. I attended Summer Home grammer school which was a small three room country school and graduated from the eighth grade with Delphina Martin, Joe Goularte, Leo Valenzuela, David Gillingwater, Sophie Stamos and Jim Holbrook and Manuel Thornton. In my sophmore year of high school I took up drafting in Mr. DiSalvos class and enjoyed it very much. As it turned out I won the first annual Raymus/Cunningham home plan award with the very first house I ever designed. As the design won, it was to be constructed on Aldwina Lane in Manteca. I was able to watch my first design being built and then had the opportunity to live in it when my parents purchased it! I can safely say that I doubt if this circumstance has been repeated anywhere. I loved to play football but wasn't large enough to make the A team, so I played 4 years on the B team and can say that those were also defining years for me. We had a great team and won the championship 3 years in a row. I married young at 19 years to Barbara Waldvogel a classmate of mine and began having a family as most all of us did in those days. I worked in Stockton for an Architectural firm 8 hours a day then traveled to Manteca, changed my clothes and went to pump gas at Brocks standard station until about 10 PM then I would leave there and drive out to the Filippini farm and drive tractor until 2:00 AM or so. This is what I had to do to make ends meet at the time.I worked for my first employer for 5 years then started working for one of the partners that had left the firm for greener pastures. I only worked for three employers until I started my own Architectural firm with a partner in 1979. All during that time I was active with my children in little league, and scouting.My marriage hit the skids in 1980 and I was officially a single person again in 1983.I never did go to any colleges or Universities, but was able through sheer determination to become licensed as an Architect in the state of CA in 1983. I am only one of a few priviledged persons that can claim that distingtion. In 1984 a new person entered my life and we were married in 1986 and remain happily married to this day! My wife, Jennell and I love to travel and make new friends. We also both like to gamble, so we always try to travel somewhere where there are casinos! Our most prized trip was a two week visit to the villages in China with some Chinese friends of ours, and yes we found a casino on the way! My wife, Jennell and I live in Lodi, CA where we just finished building a new home which we are enjoying to no end. Our children are all very successful on there own and we have three grandchildren who give us much love. I now have another love in my life...a 2007 Atomic Orange Corvette. This is a never ending story!! We are now expecting our four...Expand for more