BS Industrial Engineering 1969; MS Management Science 1971; both from Lehigh

Linda and I are married 49 years. Our children Katy, Nell, and Wesley all live within 15 min. They have produced 6 grandchildren: 1, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8. The only girl (2) rules the roost.

Half way thru grad school, I started with Air Products at 8:00 am on a Monday and would have been drafted at 9:00. I subsequently joined the Bethlehem National Guard with Vic Keen and Jerry Cohen. I held a variety of managerial and executive positions in IT at Air Products for 28 years. Then I had my own consulting business in IT and project management for 10 years. After that, I went to work for Alan Schwartz for a couple years before retiring.

Retirement has been wonderful with a balance of family, home remodeling, and tennis. I renewed my consulting passion via volunteer work for a non-profit called Healthy Kids Running Series. I have helped them with their first Strategic Plan and subsequent IT development.

I wasn't much of a risk taker, but for some reason, I found myself on the back of a U-Haul truck with a bunch of McConn'ers (including Huey of course) and freshmen on the way to Lafayette at 4:30 am. It was the morning of the pep rally's to be held by each school the night before the big game. Our mission was to light their fire prematurely, thus spoiling their weekend.

The bonfires were constructed to be 69 ft high. Each were guarded by the freshman classes. We came prepared for battle, with clubs, wire cutters, and Molotov cocktails. After cutting thru a fence, we headed for the bonfire location. Much to our surprise, it was unguarded. We threw in a few cocktails, flipped open a lighter and poof, the fire had started. The return trip was easier by walking around the fence we had cut. The view of the fire was spectacular from the back of the truck on route 22. (scroll down)

It turned out some students from M&M had come over to shoot electronic flaming arrows at the bonfire. Everyone chased after them, leaving the fire unguarded. They were caught, had their heads shaved, and returned to Lehigh in shame. No one knew we had really done it until game day when we posted signs claiming responsibility (I guess McConn's academic ability came later). We secretly gave Prof Steckbeck the lighter, which he gratefully stored as a Lehigh memento.

High School was fine academically, but not socially for me. Freshmen year at Lehigh was about the same. Then two things happened: I remembered my father's advice to not let my academics interfere with my education; and I got into McConn, the incubator for that advice.

I learned to keep my grades decent and discovered dating was much more fun. McConn had plenty of parties and events, which were neat to plan as well as participate. I got to head up a few things and discovered leadership is all about understanding human behavior. McConn epitomized the Lehigh Spirit: Work hard, play hard, learn from both.

More importantly, I learned what friendship really is: co-dependency; support, tolerance. Many McConn friendships have lasted and of course my friendship with Linda is the culmination.

My home remodeling began when we bought an 1860 farmhouse on 5 acres in northwestern Lehigh County. 36 years later, we had a swimming pool, hot tub, water garden, pond, restored barn and shed, 5 decks, lighted tennis court, refurbished rooms, all with my handiwork. Having run out of projects, we moved to suburban Phila into a ranch house with lots of potential (and to be near the kids). I added a 3rd garage, redid the roofline, built a new kitchen, replaced a wood burning fireplace with a linear gas fireplace, built a recreation room out of the basement, built a Brazilian hardwood deck with a swim-spa; built another hardwood deck with a firepit, and most recently, created a large glass enclosed sunroom. No project has been too large or complex for this engineering mind.

I have played tennis since high school. Bill Liss and I won intramurals doubles three years in a row and I won singles by beating a guy who was red-shirting on Lehigh's tennis team. At 73, I play 4 times a week against some who play very well in their 80's.

Ray@RayHoving.com

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