Members
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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.
MAX PEARCE....   I was born in Thomasville, GA on Feb. 18, 1941 and then my family moved to Jacksonville, FA where we lived until I was 15 years old. We then moved to Los Angeles, CA. I graduated from high school in 1959 and shortly after that joined the US Marine Corps Reserves where I spent 6 years in a Air-Navel Gunfire Liaison Company based in Terminal Island, CA. I attended LA City College and El Camino Community College on and off for a couple of years, but never did get my degree…..a little too much partying! I first got married in 1963 and we had two children from that marriage, my daughter Kim and my son Tim. Kim is a stay at home Mom and she and her husband have two boys Ian and Conner and live in Crestline where Steve is a California State Park Ranger. Tim is married and also has two children one girl (Jordan) who is three and a boy Lucas who is 8 months old. Tim is with the LAPD working as a gang Detective in the Watts/South LA area. His wife Kristina was also an LAPD officer until June 2006 when she was involved in a shooting with a gang member and was wounded twice with one of the bullets lodging in her spine paralyzing her from the chest down. In the aftermath of that event she and Tim received a lot of attention and publicity nationwide including have the TV show Extreme Home Makeover build them a beautiful new home in Redondo Beach just a half mile from my home. I worked for Emery Worldwide for a total of 37 years, spending 13 of those as a driver and was promoted to Supervisor in 1981 and then Drayage Manager. I was also the Terminal Manger at the Anaheim facility for a year and then returned to the LAX terminal as Operations Manager until I retired in 2003. While working at Emery and following a divorce I met my present wife Carol, who was also working at Emery in their Customer Service Department. Carol and I have two children from our marriage, Eric and David. David is a student at Cal State University Long Beach studying Mechanical Engineering and Eric works as a sign maker in El Segundo and is studying to be a EMT technician. My hobbies are woodworking and fishing….Pete Reilly and I get together a couple of times a week and go out to lunch and do other things to occupy our time. I joined the ROMEO's in 2007 after being invited by Connie Rapp and the rest of the guys and really enjoy hanging out with them and talking about "the good old days" at Emery.
PETE REILLY.... I was born in New Jersey and six months later my family moved to Southern California and I've been here every since with the exception of a three year stint in the US Army from 1964-1967 where I was stationed in Germany, I also spent about two years in Oregon where I was a catskinner in a logging operation. I've worked in the transportation industry most of my life starting in 1971. My first 18 years I spent with Emery Worldwide (Air Cargo) and following that I worked for two other freight forwarders before I retired in 2005. I love California and have no plans of every leaving the area. I'm married to my lovely wife Kathy and we have four children, all grown and 4 grand-children. I like working on my house and yard and attempt every once in awhile to catch a trout or two up in the Sierras with my fellow ROMEO's Max Pearce and Bob Colley. I love the outdoors and all that it has to offer. I joined the ROMEO's in 2008 and am very happy to hangout with such a great group of guys.
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.
Joe Jones....I was born March 26th, 1944 in New Orleans, LA. In 1954 my parents and family moved to Los Angeles, CA. I graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1961 and then attended LA City College on and off until 1968 when I graduated and received an AA degree in Police Science. At that time I had intentions of becoming a police officer. In April of 1965 I married for the first time and continued my education in the evenings, along with working full time. In 1965 I was hired by Emery Air Freight at their LAX facility as a cargo handler and went on to stay with Emery for 24 ˝ years. I went from cargo handler to driver to sales rep and then on to security supervisor, operations shift manger, domestic operations manager and finally Area Manager. During this period (1975) I received by Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of California Long Beach. In 1989 I left Emery for a position as District Director of Operations at Laidlaw Transportation; two years later the company was downsizing and I was part of that event. In March of 1991 I secured a position with the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, we soon merged with the RTD and became, what is today….the MTA. In 2003 I retired from the MTA and have never looked back. About 8 years ago I married my second wife Betty. We now live in Corona, CA where I work part time at Eagle Glen Golf Course and get to play free during my off days. Golfing has become a big part of my life and I thoroughly enjoy getting out on the fairways and trying to do my thing. Also…..about 7 years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, but luckily it was caught in time and I was able to beat it……thank God. About 15 years ago I became a born again Christian and I'm currently a deacon at the church I attend in Riverside, Ca. I am also 2nd Vice President of the California State Laymen Movement and President of the Inland District Laymen. I have three children from my fist marriage, two daughters April and Michele and one son Mitchell. April is still single, Michele is married and has three children, Reese, Brooklyn and Ricky Jr. and Mitchell is a LA County Deputy Sheriff, married and has two children Matthew and Isabel. My wife Betty and I enjoy traveling and have made three trips across county in the past five years and have also been to the Caribbean several times since we retired…….living the good life ! I am very happy to become part of the ROMEO's and look forward to getting together with a bunch of guys that I accentually grew up with at good old Emery Air Freight. I also want to thank Max Pearce and Connie Rapp for taking the time and trouble to locate me and invite me to become part of this great group of guys.