Don Silva:
CLASS OF 1954
Washington Elementary SchoolClass of 1954
Redwood city, CA
Sequoia High SchoolClass of 1961
Redwood city, CA
Don's Story
Don's schools include Washington Elementary School, Sequoia High School. Don works(ed) at Ace Hardware.
1965 MARRIED. DRAFTED, went to Fort Ord, California for Basic training and met some old school mates there in my company that went to Sequoia. Went from there to Fort Bliss Texas for Advanced Infantry training. Was trained in anti air craft weapons. Quad 50s and Twin Forties , both self propelled. Trained until December 66 deployed as a battalion to Viet Nam. There I spent the rest of my tour of duty until December of 67. Came Home to an unwelcome protest at San Francisco Airport.
Went back to work as a Carpet and Furniture Cleaner and eventually partnered with another employee and started my own carpet cleaning business in Redwood City. Fabric Rug Cleaners and Deep Steam Carpet Cleaners. Have two beautiful Children, Brian and Cathie Silva. Proud of Both of them. Divorced in 1974 sold business move to San Jose for school, Learned to be an Electrical Technician. Got a job at Elma Engineering building Transformers for Nuclear Energy Plants all over the United States. Also built sub assemblies for Nuclear Reactors. Worked there for about 2 years. Met wife no. 2. and moved to Illinois in a small town called Spring Grove. Took a position as an electronic Tech and assembler at a plant called Gandalf Data Communications Systems in Wheeling Illinois. Worked there for 9 years. Worked my way up into a management position in 3 years. In 1987 left that company for health reasons. To much demand not enough rest. Became interested in Property Management. Moved to Eugene Oregon and started managing a mobile home park in Roseburg Oregon. Got home sick and found a management position in Salinas California. Moved there in 1989 Went to Mobile Home Park Management Classes for 2 years there. At the same time I became a Mediator for Monterey County. Conflict and Resolution. That was a very interesting Time. Lots of rough gang mediations. Divorce no.2 . Had a job offer to go to Sonoma California.and took it.
Loved Sonoma. Close to everything. Especially Sears Point as it was called then. Met a lot of NASCAR drivers and Drag Racer drivers. After another 4 years I met wife No. 3. Actually in Salinas. I just wanted to take my time and make this marriage would be my last time. The third time is a charm. It really is. My wife got me back into church, no drinking, cussing, or no fun. That's not true. My wife is there fo...Expand for more
r me all the time.. When she says she is going somewhere that is where she goes and returns. No bar hopping, man chasing or carousing like the others. Just a beautiful dedicated wife. Couldn't be happier. Left Sonoma in 1999 and moved to a small town north of Sonoma called Healdsburg. About the same size as Sonoma and again grape and wine country. Little more high end. I took a position of managing apartment and homes in Healdsburg and Windsor California. Worked there until 2010. Sold the complexes and I was tired of Management wanted something that was less demanding. Found a position at the Local Ace Hardware where I worked until I was 70 years Old. Back problems forced me to Retire in 2014. I really enjoyed working there at the Ace Store. I was in full charge of the Electrical Department but worked all the floor and departments. Once again I moved with the wife and two dogs further North in California to a small town called Kelseyville on the edge of Clear Lake about 4 miles west of Konakti Harbor. I now know how good life could be being retired. We have quite a few deer that meet us each morning while having coffee on the deck. Of course they are waiting for a hand out of carrots and potatoes. Some of them actually let us pet them and feed from our hands. After long deliberation about 4 years I finally decided to have my back surgery. Bone spurs were removed and a disc replacement with rods inserted. Turned out to be the best decision I have made since my 3rd wife. I can stand up straight again and walk without pain shooting through my thighs and legs. I have feeling in my feet once again that I hadn't had in over 10 years. The Surgery was done at the San Francisco Veterans Hospital at Fort Miley. I was treated like I was royalty. Better service than what I ever received at Humana or Kaiser.; I always thought Kaiser was good until I went to Fort Miley. I know the VA has been getting some bad reports. But if the VA used Fort Miley as a model for the rest of the VA Hospitals to follow I believe the VA would be a receiving better report from a lot happier patients.
Still living in Kelseyville and enjoying life day by day. I think after about another six month of healing I will be ready to get back into the work force only part time. I enjoy life as it is now but I miss the comradery of new customers and making friend with the regular customers.
That's about I have to say in a large nut shell
Don Silva
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