|
Below are the members of the Orange County, CA. ROMEO CLUB enjoying
themselves and a few words about them.
|
Connie Rapp.... Born and raised in Troy, NY,
graduated from Troy High School and attended Hudson Valley CC. I entered
the U S Army in January 1964 and served with 18th Airborne Corp, Ft.
Bragg, NC, also served in Korea at U N Headquarters, Seoul and then went
on to serve in Vietnam with the 61st Aviation Co FW (Caribou)
(MAC-V)65'-67'. Married to my wife Gail since 1968 when we moved to
Southern California. We have one daughter, Kimberly, who is now a science
teacher at Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach and living in Yorba
Linda, CA. We have lived in Irvine for the past 20 years and love it. I
retired at the end of 2001 after 33 years with Emery Worldwide, which is
now part of UPS. My interests are reading, military history and
photography. I am an active member of the American Legion, Newport Harbor
Post 291 where I am commander of the Honors Rifle Squad and the Color
Guard. I also am a life member of VFW Post 6024 in Mission Viejo, the
Forty and Eight Society, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the 1st Calvary
Div. Association, Army Otter-Caribou Association, and Special Forces
Association Chapter XII. I am the original member of the Orange County
ROMEO Club and it is my responsibility to get things organized for the
rest of the guys in the club…..therefore my title "Commander".
I formed this group because I had probably spent more time working with
these guys then I had with my own family during my working years and felt
I just didn't want to walk out the door and end all of those
relationships. Frank Marble, Ron Biggs and I are the original members of
our group. I enjoy getting together with my fellow ROMEO's each month and
on special occasions having their wives and ladies join us and help to
celebrate the lives we all worked so hard to enjoy in our retirement
years. |
 |
Bob Colley.... I was born in Richmond, VA and raised
in the Cincinnati suburbs. I've been married to my wife Betty for 40 years
and we have two children and two grandsons. Our daughter is engaged to be
married sometime next summer 2007. I served in the U S Army and hold a BS
degree which I received following my stint in the military. Betty and I
moved to California 37 years ago and have never regretted that move. We
move here by car with our infant son in the backset snuggled in a open
suitcase. I enjoy fly fishing and travel ranks right up there too. The
ROMEO's are a very important part of my retirement years. |
 |
Bob Hainsworth.... I was born in England in
late 1941 when Britain had been at war for two years and met my father 4
years later when he returned from India after serving in the British Army.
My mother was a doctor, but did not practice, she raised four sons. Our
family business was wool weaving, blankets, suit cloths, billiard cloths
and still continues today since 1873. I was sent away to boarding school
when I was 8 years old and stayed until I was 18, this is a British
Tradition. I won school colors (lettered) in swimming. I entered Leeds
College of Technology in 1959 and graduated in 1962. In 1960 I enlisted in
the local Territorial Army Unit (Britain's weekend warriors) 12th
Battalion, Parachute Regiment and stayed in for 5 years. Made 22 jumps and
did training camps in Cyprus and Ireland. On May 5th, 1965 I got off the
steamer Sylvania in New York harbor and took a Greyhound bus to Los
Angeles. My first job here was a steel warehouseman with Duccommon Metals,
later Todd Ship Yard in San Pedro and then to Emery Air Freight in April
of 1970, never planned to stay long, was hoping to make another long trip
to Europe like my college days, but I met a pretty girl, Lindley from
Palos Verdes and she had other plans - we married in 1971 and had two
little girls, moved around Southern California 7 times in 20 years,
adopted our son Tae and sadly in 1991 our marriage ended. After 33 years
with Emery I retired in 2003 with a nice pension and many good memories
and friends. I met my lovely lady friend Joanna 9 years ago and we have
been companions and soul mates every since. Joanna and I now reside
together at our little hide-away in Hemet, CA. We enjoy boating, cruises,
going down to my other place in Ensenada, Mexico to watch the beautiful
sunsets and also spending time in Laughlin, NV where we first met. We are
both very grateful to Connie Rapp for organizing the ROMEO's of O.C. and
always look forward to our get togethers. It would surely be a shame to
work with such a fine group of people for over 30 years and loose touch in
retirement and we also see a more human side to all our fellow work mates
now that the pressures of the job are removed. |
 |
Frank Marble.... |
 |
Pete Vandermoore.... I was born in the Colonial
"Dutch East Indies", after it got its independence and became
Indonesia my family moved to Amsterdam, Holland. In 1957 my family again
packed up and very happily immigrated to the United State of America. I'll
never forget, as a teenager, passing by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis
Island on my way via ship to Hoboken, NJ. Then we all went by train from
Central Station in New York via Chicago and El Paso to our new home in
Southern California. I joined the U S Navy in the early sixties and
afterwards went to work in the airfreight industry stay on with Emery
Worldwide for 35 years. I am married to my wife Cecilia and have a
daughter and son. I now enjoy retirement and get togethers with my fellow
ROMEO's. |
 |
Ron Biggs.... I was born in Los Angeles and raised in
Pomona. Graduated from high school in 1959 and went to work in the grocery
industry and drove a delivery truck for several other types of businesses.
Emery Worldwide was the last company I worked for, putting in 23 years and
retiring in 2002. I am married to my lovely wife Bunny and between the two
of us we have 6 children and 12 grandchildren. I enjoy woodworking and
doing swap meets on weekends. I like to walk every morning to try and stay
in shape and healthy. Bunny and I reside in Orange, CA I am one of the
charter members of the ROMEO's and enjoy very much getting together with
my former co-workers each month. |
 |
Terry Mankin.... I was born in 1947, making me the
youngest ROMEO in our Chapter, in Indianapolis, IN. My family moved to
Southern California in 1953 and settled in Sierra Madre in April 1954.
Some of my family is still there today. I was an only child, graduated
from Pasadena High class of 1965. Entered the US Army in 1966 and served
three years, with one of them 1968-1969 in Vietnam with MACV. I hold the
Joint Service Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Vietnam Service
Medal (2 campaigns). Upon my discharge I went to work for Emery Worldwide/CNF/Menlo
(all the same company just several name changes due to buyouts, etc. I
worked for 35 years with Emery and retired in January 2005. I have been
married for 33 years to my wife Kim and we have one grown son, Richard;
who recently got married. Kim and I now live in a retirement community in
Banning, CA about 30 West of Palm Springs. I enjoy getting together with
my fellow ROMEO's every month to catch up on the latest news and rumors. |
 |
Tim Hille.... I was born in Brooklyn, NY on March
30th, 1942 and was raised in West Islip, Long Island where I graduated
from high school in 1959. I joined the U S Marine Corp in August 1959 and
served until August 1963. During my military years I was with the 8th
Engineers out of Camp Lejune, NC. I started my career with Emery
Airfreight in November 1964 in JFK Airport and later transferred to the
office at LAX (Los Angeles Airport) and ended up transferring to the ONT
(Ontario Airport) before retiring in 2004 just shy of 40 years of service.
I've been married to my wife Cathy for 41 years and have four daughters
and five grandchildren. We enjoy traveling, when we can. I also enjoy
belonging to the ROMEO's of Orange County and love getting together every
month for our meetings. |
| |
|
|
