Gary Klein:
CLASS OF 1972
Springfield Gardens High SchoolClass of 1972
Springfield gardens, NY
Willamette UniversityClass of 2002
Salem, OR
University of ToledoClass of 1995
Toledo, OH
SUNY at Buffalo - Information & Library ScienceClass of 1988
Buffalo, NY
SUNY at BuffaloClass of 1977
Buffalo, NY
Gary's Story
LIFE:
1972-77: Student at SUNY-Buffalo. Started in Pharmacy, switched to Computers in my 2nd semester. Had an internship at a local bank that turned into an 11 year career. Honestly did not know when I completed my Bachelors degrees because I kept on taking classes that were helpful to my job.
1976-87: Moved up the corporate ladder at Erie Savings Bank, later named Empire Of America Federal Savings Bank. Started as an intern, left as a vice president. Always worked in the same Research + Development Dept.
1987-88: Went to grad school, to become a librarian, also at SUNY-Buffalo (where I earned my Masters of Library Science)
1983: Recognized that I was actually gay, after struggling with my sexuality since birth.
1988-95: With my MLS in hand, worked 7 yrs at Univ of Toledo (Ohio) as business librarian, active in the American Library Association. Was denied tenure, but had other plans lined up.
1994-95: Enrolled in Masters of Geography + Urban Planning at Univ of Toledo. Dropped program when I got a new job in Oregon.
1995-Present: Working for Willamette Univ in Salem Oregon as reference librarian specializing in business & social sciences.
2001: Had a marriage ceremony at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem with my partner Mack, 160 guests present, including our parents. YES, it was a gay wedding!
WEB PAGE: home.comcast.net/~garymklein
LAW & ORDER - all versions of it.
MY FIRST JOB was at age 16, with Alexanders Department Store (Valley Stream), where I got paid Minimum wage (about $2/hour) to be a Stockboy in the Bett...Expand for more
er Handbag's dept. What I remember most about it is my boss was Diane McPherson, and many customers thought that she was too young looking to actually be the Dept Mgr. Sometimes, she asked me to "pinch hit" for her, when an angry customer would not accept her explanation of how we could correct a problem..
I knew at age 8 that I did not want to have children.
No more 3 piece banker's pinstripe suits in my closet! Libraries have a much looser dress code!
Mack and I had chatted over email a few times for a month, but never spoke on the phone, and never met in person. SIX months later, he wanted to check out gay friendly churches in Salem. The first one he visited was the Unitarian Church (where I was on the board of directors). Mack chatted with the minister, and I happened to attend that Sunday. The minister described Mack, and told me where he might be sitting inside the chapel... I found him, sat next to him, and it literally was love at first sight! EVERYONE in the congregation thought that we were already a long term couple, when in fact we had JUST MEET EACH OTHER that day!
The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is Paul Nagler (Math teacher at SGHS), because he was the first teacher that I had a crush on! It was triggered when he grew a beard over the summer, and it was bright copper. And he lived just a few doors away from a good friend, Bruce Kaplan, in Rosedale. And every time I saw Mr Nagler with his beard, my hormones were boiling over. But I never acknowledged that I was actually gay until about 12 years later!
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