Rod Bankhead:  

ROD [ROCKY] BANKHEAD - [Updated March 3, 2014] after a nice, surprise Birthday Message from an old [ah . . .great friend and great guy] - Joel Harris 1966 - 1970 - Served overseas and in the U.S. in the USAF for four years. On a Friday I left the Air Force as one of the youngest Staff Sergeants in the core. Then I started work for Pacific Telephone on the following Monday. Way far back - went to Grossmont Jr. College nights for 6 years - reached within 3 or 6 units of 4 different AA Degrees. Still don't have one because my career was just fine without a degree. Bumped into Johnny Little and Frank Shoenthal there. Great guys!! Married & divorced my life's mistake - Jan Matson [65] - except my two sons that have blessed me every day of their lives. Began the first genuinely happy years of my adult life [21 years ago & counting]. We always knew we [Susan Merriam ('66) and me] were meant to be together since the day we first met so many, many years ago. Living a true love story really is a very beautiful thing. She is absolutely the most amazing human being walking the earth in my lifetime. Susie & I have 3 wonderful sons and 3 beautiful daughters [in law], and 9 grand kids (8 boys & 1 princess). We are a very close family of 17, and being grandparents is our most favorite activity. I had an unscheduled health stop in 2003 from a heart attack and and a few strokes. I had to retire after 34 years in middle management positions with Pacific Telephone, AT&T, and Verizon. I had a great career. retiring as the Western Region [13 States] Operations Manager for Verizon Communications. Great job and great career. Left a few times - I was recruited to turn-around a Cellular Phone Company which took me two-years to do - and I sold the company. Then a second departure was being recruited to be the Telecommunications Director for the County of San Diego - which took almost 4 years. On both occasions - I was welcomed back immediately by either AT&T or Verizon Communication - without any loss in retirement income, etc.. Very fortunate. Susie retired 4 years ago after almost 40 very successful years in management positions with Pacific Telephone, AT&T, and as a Communications Director for Wells Fargo Bank. We had a cabin in Big Bear Lake for several years until about 2111. Then - my health forced me back to sea level so we sold the cabin to our youngest son Darin and his wife & 4 sons. He still has it. He's on the Ski Patrol at Bear Mountain Resort [he gets free lift tickets for his whole family] so we get to see the family more during the winters. Our oldest son, Michael [45] is a very successful Commercial Real Estate Broker in La Jolla. He's married to Nichole [also a very successful Account Exec with a local publishing house] and two sons - Rowan & Logan. Troy our middle son [44] is a Doctor [PHD] and h...Expand for more