After leaving Idaho in the summer of 72 DeeAnn and I bounced around living in Phoenix, Downey Idaho, Provo Utah, Park City Utah, Salt Lake City, and Branson Missouri, finally ending up in Valdez Alaska shortly after the Oil Spill in 1990. Some of you may remember that our oldest son Stanly Jr. Died as an infant from SDS in the summer of 1972. Since then DeeAnn and I have somewhat successfully bought shoe for six other children, five boys and one Daughter. At this point all are married supplying us with twenty six grandchildren with twenty eight by the end of the year. I have not stayed in contact with any of the Graduates of Meridian HS and have only been back to the area three times in forty years. Still the memories of those days are fresh in my mind. There are many here in Valdez that have ties to Idaho, specifically the Boise area, enough to keep us thinking of you. I have football players that go to BSU football camp each summer to practice on the Serf Turf.
For the past 26 years I have been self employed as a Businessman and General Contractor, most of that time scratching out a modest existence in the last frontier. Some might be suppressed to know that for the past eight years I have been an assistant Football Coach at Valdez High School. I say surprised because my own football carrier was modest at best. Coaching has much more to do with mentoring than being a great athlete of the sport. This season I will have the thrill of coaching the oldest of my own grandchildren in the sport.
The Alaska experience is beautiful and demanding. I miss Idaho the most in these cold dark winter days that we fight the snow and Ice or in those summer days when we can't seem to get a dry day to build in. At the same time the outdoor experience is unequaled.