Bronic Zagrobelny:
CLASS OF 1973
Holy Family High SchoolClass of 1973
Massena, NY
Massena High SchoolClass of 1973
Massena, NY
Sacred Heart SchoolClass of 1969
Massena, NY
Bronic's Story
Life
Way too much for this space - many life adventures, from owning football teams in Ottawa and Montreal, to my tryout with the Dallas Cowboys, and building a security firm (see SecurityConsultants.com), to handling conflict resolution for undercover operatives that get into trouble in foreign countries, I've had one heck of a first half of my life! Gotta love a challenge! The greatest challenge was raising my son as a single parent (for most of the years), but the rewards have been awesome.
I loved growing up in Massena, from the great people to the excellent schools. The spirited athletic programs, the Saint Lawrence in the summer, beautiful nature all-year-round, what was not to love? And then being an hour from two wonderful cities (Ottawa & Montreal), we had the best of both worlds.
I remember on my 18th birthday, we piled some friends into my car (73 Plymouth Duster), and drove to Montreal to find a good pizza place! (You can't live on Tony's Pizza alone.)
A couple of years later, Jon Smith, Jerry Sharlow, and I went to the Summernationals drag race weekend near Montreal, and slept in a cornfield overnight, until the place opened. Lots of great (and occasionally crazy) times!
But childhood was even more memorable. From my dad coaching 5th & 6th grade basketball at Sacred Heart School, to building forts in the snow, we could all probably sit and talk forever (should we all have the chance to be together again). Gary Bissonette and I, pretending we were Ilya Kuryakin & Napoleon Solo (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) in the mid-60's. My first slow dance with a girl (and you know who you are) at Jim Lahey's party.
Sports played a big part in my life, of course. Mr. Horan & Mr. LaShomb coaching us in Little League at the (original) Springs Park, and getting ice cr...Expand for more
eam after the games! The Zappia family of coaches on our Pop Warner team, with teammates like Kevin Dougherty, Mike, Kevin & Cheech Zappia, Ike & Garvis Bogosian, Charlie Sharlow, Dick Layo, Mike LeDuc, Tommy Dwyer, and other great Massena athletes. At Holy Family I always credited guys like Joe LaShomb for making me look so good at quarterback.... all I had to do was throw the ball high and far, no matter where on the field, it seemed, and Joey would chase it down and haul it in! In basketball Rick Ahlfeld was an amazing teacher of the game, and had enough faith in me to make me a starter as a sophomore, and I will be forever thankful.
After High School I spent some time helping the legendary coach Mike Nicholas with the baseball team, and in the fall Tony D allowed me to help with the football team's kicking game. Having the opportunity to give back, to a community that knows the importance of raising children the right way, it meant very much to me. In Florida, where I've spent most of my adult life, I coached baseball, from T-Ball all the way up to a 14-16 year old league, as my son grew from a toddler into a young man. Family is so important, and that old saying about "it takes a village to raise a child" - well, that's Massena, and I will always remember the importance it played in my life and my son's.
As an adult, I have chosen a career in helping others, mostly with security and protection issues. It's clearly an extension of my upbringing, to help others in need. It's why, as a 5 year old, my son learned to open doors for others, and that "thank you" and "you're welcome" will always sound better than "whatever" and "no problem." Long live Massena, and long live the friends and families I have come to know through the years!
E-mail me to find out more!
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