Paul Smith:
CLASS OF 1959
Clayton High SchoolClass of 1959
Clayton, NJ
Woodstown High SchoolClass of 1959
Woodstown, NJ
Penns Grove High SchoolClass of 1959
Carneys point, NJ
Lafayette-Pershing Elementary SchoolClass of 1959
Carneys point, NJ
Carleton Elementary SchoolClass of 1959
Penns grove, NJ
Paul's Story
Life has been rewarding, considering the way I abused it. (I quit drinking in 1986. Not too proud or too shy to say I am a recovering alcoholic and am living proof that alcohol doesn't have to win the battle). We're living in Jacksonville, FL, having retired after a few successful careers. (Military, Education, Contracting).
My wife, Colleen:
Met her in Trenton, NJ. She had a flat tire and I changed it for her in exchange for 50 years of blissful matrimony. We never EVER had a single fight..... (Interested in buying a bridge?)
My Kids:
All grown and have successfully navigated life's challenges thus far.
Helen and Eric - from a first marriage to Marie Pease of Malaga, NJ.
Stacey and Paul Jr. from current marriage to Colleen Eberhardt of Fairless Hills, PA.
I'm spending their inheritance traveling, coaching those who are road racers/distance-runners. It is great seeing others succeed and meet their goals! I'll be 80 YO in 2021, which is normally somewhere on a trip back to the diapers. I'm not going down without a fight! Qualified to participate in the 2022 Senior Olympic Games as a 5K and 10K road race contestant.
My Jobs:
26.5 years, US Navy. Retired Chief Warrant Officer (4) - Telecommunications specialist.
21 years as a Telecommunications/Data Network Specialist in Florida school districts.
4 years as an adjunct professor at Florida State College, teaching Microsoft Office applications.
Retired in June 2007.
College
After the years in the Navy, knew I needed a college degree to move up in the world:
Earned an AA, followed by AS in Computer Information Systems at Florida Community College Jacksonville in 1994.
Earned a BS (Cum Laude, Electronics Management) at Southern Illinois University, College of Technical Careers, at a remote campus in Jacksonville, Florida in 1995.
Civilian Awards: Computerworld Smithsonian Honors medal for a case study that resulted in the design and installation of a 'state of the art' voice and data telecommunications/internet system for 140 schools and offices in the Duval County Public School district, Jacksonville, FL.
Hobbies/Sports: Roller skating: Started in the High School years (1957-58-59) at Franklinville's Delsea Arena. Skated competitively in Speed, Dance, & Figure skating. Member of the inaugural Roller Hockey league of New Jersey. Our Delsea team won the New Jersey Championship.
Returned to the skates in 19...Expand for more
99. My daughter Stacey is a High School Track & Field coach, a national cycling, inline skating, and snowshoe racing champion. She taught me the basics of inline speed skating. It all began in 1999 when she convinced me I would die early from problems caused by obesity (I weighed about 230 pounds then). I had to change my habits/diet while she taught the techniques of inline skating to me. 50 pounds later(lighter) we began traveling nationally and internationally, competing in events. I have won or placed high in my division at many skating events, including the Long Beach, CA, International 26.2 mile marathon, and the Dululth, MN 26.2 North Shore World Cup event. The Downside? Sliding 20 feet with your body parts on concrete is a bad way to perform hair removal and can be hazardous to your skin, muscles, and tendons. (Broke the left shoulder hitting a guard rail post doing 27 MPH in the St. Paul, MN marathon. Not easy to skate 10 more miles to the finish holding the left arm with the right hand.)
Running: I began running in late 2002. It was considerably less expensive than skating. Just lace up the ol' shoes and run out the door. I'm now sponsored by the '1st Place Sports' athletic store in Jacksonville, FL.
Have won or placed high in several Grand Prix series races in North Florida , and have competed/finished about 10 marathons, including the Boston Marathon and Marine Corp Marathon (Washington DC) since 2006.
So much for all that "bragger's rights" stuff in the previous paragraphs. Competition and the desire to win might be good for the soul, but the real life prize with every run, practice or race, is good health. That was the point of it when I lost all that weight at the start of all this, and remains so today. Becoming and remaining healthy, keeping the blood and oxygen flowing, and keeping the mind active as long as possible makes us winners. Winning an event is nice, but not the real goal. Living healthy is the goal! Most of you readers who stumbled onto this page - just trying to remember who the heck I was back in Clayton High - can begin TODAY to live a more healthy life if you haven't already. You just have to want to do it and get off the couch! The Grim Reaper will have to wait if you live better. Need more info? I'll be happy to help, although I'm not moving back to NJ to run with you. Not much snow in Florida.
Thanks for reading.
Register for Free to view all details!
Yearbooks
Register for Free to view all yearbooks!
Reunions
Register for Free to start a reunion event!
Photos
