Gregory Centanne:
CLASS OF 1969
North Ft. Myers High SchoolClass of 1969
North ft. myers, FL
University of South FloridaClass of 1975
Tampa, FL
Tropic Isles Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
North ft. myers, FL
Sallie Jones Elementary SchoolClass of 1963
Punta gorda, FL
Pittman Square Elementary SchoolClass of 1962
Gary, IN
Gregory's Story
Life
I'm involved in historical re-enacting as a hobby. I re-enact a U.S. Navy sailor impression for Civil War (1861-1865), Mexican War (1846-1848), and Creek/Seminole Indian War (1835-1842). Great fun! I also like to jog. I run between 6 to 7 miles (nonstop) once or twice a week and have been running regularly since 1981. I still have the same tenor saxophone that I once played in the North Fort Myers "Red Knight Marching Band". I am now a member of St. Petersburg's "Second Time Arounders Marching Band" and have been participating in this city's annual Festival of States Parade every year since 1984. I've been married to Sharon for 34 years and have three daughters: Anna(30 years), Julia(27 years), and Kathryn(24 years) old.
School
I attended kindergarden through the middle of the 5th grade at Pittman Square Elementary in Gary, Indiana until Feb/62, when my family moved to Florida. I then attended the rest of the 5th grade(Mr. Mason's class) and most of the 6th grade(Mrs. Parvin's class) at Sallie Jones Elementary in Punta Gorda, Fl. After my parents moved into North Fort Myers, Fl. in Apr/63, I finished the last two months of the 6th grade at Tropic Isles Elementary in (Mrs. Whaley's class). I attended grades 7 to 12 at North Fort Myers Junior Senior High School from Sep/63 and graduated with a HS Diploma in Jun/69.
College
After I came home from service in Vietnam in Sep/73, I attended college at the University of South Florida in Tampa on the GI Bill. I met my wife, Sharon, who was then attending USF as a Junior at the College of Fine Arts. After I received an Associate of Arts degree from USF, I transferred to the Pinellas Vocational Technical Institute and received a Diploma of Electronics Technology. With these credentials, I began my career as an electronics technician at Electromagnetics Industries Inc. (subsidiary of Square D Company) in Clearwater, Fl. on Feb. 14, 1977. After my layoff from the electronics industry in Mar/02, I attended St. Petersburg College and received certificates as a "Quality Process Technician" and in "Computer Integr...Expand for more
ated Design" (AUTOCAD).
Workplace
I was hired as an electronics tech at Electromagnetics Industries (subsidiary of Square D) in Feb/77. I tested, troubleshot, and repaired printed circuit boards in a highly demanding manufacturing environment. In Jun/81, my company changed its name to Square D Company when we occupied a new facility built for us in Pinellas Park, Fl. In Jun/88, we moved back to our old Clearwater facility. In Nov/95, Square D sold our facility to Dovatron Ind. Incorporated, and we moved to a new facility in Palm Harbor, Fl. in Apr/99. After Dovatron merged with Flextronics Inc. in Apr/2000, the plant was shutdown two years later in Mar/2002. I'm now employed as an Import/Export Electronics Compliance Technician for America II Electronics, which is an electronic components distributor.
Military
I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Dec/69 on the "Delayed Entry Program". After the Christmas holidays, I entered boot camp at the Naval Training Center, NTC Orlando, Fl. in Jan/70. After graduation from boot camp, I was sent to Communications Yeoman "A" School at the Naval Operating Base NOB Norfolk, Va. in Apr/70. After receiving training in the processing of naval intelligence, I was sent to an Attack Aircraft Carrier, USS AMERICA (CVA-66), for "sea duty" in Jun/70. I served on board the "AMERICA" for (3 years, 2 months, 28 days, 11 hours & 30 mins). I served two campaigns with the U.S. 7th Fleet off Vietnam and around the Orient, one deployment with the U.S. 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, and intermittent deployments with the U.S. 2nd Fleet in the North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, sailing twice around the world and visiting 25 different foreign ports. By the time I had finished "active duty" as a Radioman 3rd class (E4), I was "READY" for the co-ed environment of a college or university! After I finished two years at USF, I re-enlisted in the Navy Reserve at NRC St. Pete., Fl. in Sep/75, before my 6-year "regular" enlistment expired. I remained in the U.S. Naval (Ready) Reserves until I retired as a Radioman Chief Petty Officer (E7) in Aug/95.
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