...while I concentrated on earning a living as an engineer. I began at US Steel Homestead Works in 1959 in the Industrial Engineering Department of the rolling mills and open hearth. Carol and I married in 1961 and lived in Wilkinsburg for one year and then moved to Monroeville. In 1961, I also fulfilled my military obligation, taking Army basic training at Ft. Dix and signing up for 8-1/2 years of Army Reserve. Our son Greg was born in 1962 and daughter Suzanne in 1964.

In 1962,I left US Steel and went to work with Westinghouse Electric at the Bettis Atomic Power Lab working in Quality Assurance and Nondestructive Testing. For the next 16 years I lived a lot out of a suit case, traveling the country doing QA work in the Navy Nuclear propulsion program. This included spending 30 months as QA Manager of the Naval Reactor and Expended Core facility in Idaho. There we trained crews for nuclear subs and surface ships and chopped up spent reactor cores to recover nuclear fuel. Believe me, this kind of life required a very understanding wife.

In 1978, I left the Navy program and switched over to the Advanced Energy Systems Division (AESD) of Westinghouse, which still entailed a lot of travel. Within AFSD. I was involved in many programs and spent approximately 5 years as Director, and instructor in the Westinghouse NDE Technical Institute, which was a Pennsylvania registered trade school. There, I taught many subjects, my favorite being industrial radiography.

I retired fmm Westinghouse in 1992, with 30 years service, and went to work as an engineer for a small machining company in Cranberry, Moody Corp. During those 30 years at Westinghouse, there was no time for music or singing. However, my new job with Moody kept me at home and I joined our church choir. Three members of the choir, Fran Cassidy, Tom Steimer and Dave Welsh, were members of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter. Dave Welsh soon convinced me to attend a Tuesday night meeting and I was hooked.

At the start, I did some Mihmbro quartet singing. Then Fran Cassidy, Tom Steimer, Dave Welsh and myself sang briefly as the "Monroevillians." My first registered quartet was "West Penn Connection" which was Joe Potts, Russ Keyser, Trenton Ferro and myself. In 1993, "Random Choice" was registered with Bill Harnifton, Don Smith, Dave Welsh and myself. Over the years, I can count at least 12 others that have sung with "Random Choice." I guess that's why we are "random." We sang in contest a few times and several times on the annual show back when we permitted chapter quartets to do so.

Well, now you know a bit more about your editor. Hopefully, my singing days will continue for many more years and other quartets.

Who wants their bio featured next? You don't have to be asked... just give it to me.

"TATER PEOPLE"

· Some people never seem motivated to participate, but are just content to watch others do the work.
  They are called "Spec Taters."

· Some people never do anything to help, but are gifted at finding fault with the way
  others do the work. They are called "Comment Taters."

· Some people are very bossy and like to tell others what to do, but don't want to soil their own hand.
  They are called "Dick Taters."

· Some people are always looking to cause problems by asking others to agree with them. It is
  too hot or too cold, too sour or too sweet. They are called "Agie Taters."

· There are those who say they will help, but somehow just never get around to actually doing
  the promised help. They are called "Hezzie Taters."

· Some people can put up a front and pretend to be someone they are not. They are called "Emma Taters."

· Then there are those who love others and do what they say they will. They are always prepared stop
  whatever they are doing and lend a helping hand. They bring real sunshine into the lives of others.
  They are called "Sweet Taters."

What kind of Tater are you?

By Bill Gibbons via PROBE