And then there is a crazy side as well. Brian is quick to crack a joke and find humor in the mundane. And you never know what to expect when he shows up at our Halloween parties. One of the most memorable times was when Stacy and Brian showed up as Sonny and Cher. Our friends still talk about those costumes...
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| Cher and Sonny |
1. When and where were you born?
I was born in November 1956 in Marion, IN.
2. What is your first, most vivid memory?
I remember watching my brother Robin (3 years my elder) walk home from
kindergarten. We lived across the street from an elementary school and I was
standing on the couch looking out through the picture window. He was wearing a
red and black winter coat and hat and there was snow on the ground. I think he
was carrying his books or a folder.
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| Brian and Robin |
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| Relaxing at grandma's house |
3. What were you like as a child?
What did you do for fun?
Very young I was quite mild, afraid of many things, and a momma’s boy.
As I grew I loved to listen to music (all kinds) and play records, collect Hot
Wheels cars, read comic books (ghost-story type, sci-fi, and Archie and his
friends), use telescopes, microscopes and chemistry sets. I learned and became
quite proficient on trombone and later guitar. I was quite a baseball pitcher
in Little League and I learned to throw curve balls, sliders, (including an
incredible drop ball due to my double-jointed wrist) and knucklers at an early
age with the help of Robin. I loved shooting hoops, playing pool and spending a
great deal of time with my neighbor, Steve .
Steve and I played lots of board
games and made up our own games (and language - Terititilian) as well.
We rode bikes, watched WAY TOO MUCH daytime game shows on TV (Dating Game,
Newlywed Game, etc.) and loved listening to The Beatles, especially on Chuck’s
(Steve’s oldest brother) Zenith Circle-of-Sound stereo.
4. Who is/was the oldest relative you remember (and what do you remember
about them?)
My paternal grandfather, Raymond was born in 1892. He fought in the
infantry in WWI and was awarded the Purple Heart for injuries sustained from
mustard gas poisoning. He was a gentle man that worked very hard after the war
at a foundry until he retired. He was a White Sox fan and had a great garden
full of vegetables and flowers. He played cards, made homemade plum wine (very
sweet), and loved English tea. He taught Robin and me how to play cribbage,
which I still play to this day.
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| Grandma and Grandpa |
5. Describe your parents. What
were they like? Where did they meet?
Mom came from a family of ten. Her father
was a carpenter/mason, and her mother looked after the home. Mom's family
didn't have running water in the house and their bathroom was an outhouse. Mom
learned to cook, clean and wash, and care for infants when she was quite young.
As the oldest daughter, she literally took care of her younger siblings. Even
by the time she was a senior in high school, mom had very few clothes. Mom's
family may have been monetarily poor, but they were quite rich with love. Mom
passed her capacity for love to my Robin and me.
Conversely, dad was an only child. As
stated above, his father was a handyman/laborer and a veteran of WWI. His mom
was also a laborer (worked in a casting factory), so they both always worked.
Dad was an outgoing (some would say wild) kid who enlisted in the Army Air
Corps before Pearl Harbor. After the war, he took advantage of the GI bill and
earned a B.S. degree in teaching. Later he would receive a M.S. degree in
counseling from Notre Dame. My dad was a coach, a teacher, and a counselor and
friend to thousands of kids during his long working career. My brother and I
were both active in athletics due to our dad’s influence. Dad gave me the
ability to see that everyone had a story worth hearing, and a need worth
helping. He was constantly being stopped to chat by neighbors and friend at the
store.
Mom and dad were both from Marion and dad
was a friend with my mom’s older brothers, so they knew each other growing up.
Both of my parents (like their parents before them) worked very hard but
enjoyed living. They all taught me that there is absolutely no substitute for
hard work, as long as it was good work. Finding the best work was considered a
goal.
Mom and dad loved music, cookouts,
sports, cards, board games, and an occasional cocktail with friends after one
of dad’s basketball games. I remember being in a home filled with good food,
friends, high school students, basketball players, and laughter.
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| Mom and Dad |
6. What was the best gift you remember as a child?
I received a lot of gifts that were wonderful, but the best had to be
my first real guitar (my first was really bad!). I can’t remember what
brand it was but it was an acoustic that was very hard to fret and wouldn’t
stay in tune. I played it all the time until I traded up for one that I bought
with money earned while teaching guitar in high school (a Yamaha 12-string). My
folks bought me a Martin D-35 after my first year of college at Purdue. That
was the best!
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| Brian playing his Martin D-35 |
7. What did you want to be when you grew up?
An astronaut! But when I learned about the physical requirements
(especially the rotating G-force machine that made you extremely dizzy; I
suffered from motion sickness as a kid), I asked some questions. I was told
that people who design and build the rockets were engineers. So I started to
think about engineering. My neighbor Chuck was an engineering student at Purdue
and that also influenced me, especially due to the work-study (Co-Op) program
he participated in with Rockwell International in L.A. in the late 60s. I also
knew engineers made good money!
8. Describe your first job. What
did you do with your first paycheck?
My first jobs were mowing lawns. Then I moved on to mowing a large
cemetery. When the mower broke down my boss would find me at the truck stop
playing pinball! In high school I taught guitar and worked at a farm market.
Not sure what I did with my pay (probably bought records or musical gear). My
last two summers I convinced my parents that I needed to practice basketball,
which I did with kids from all around LaPorte and Michigan City.
9. What have you liked best about your life so far? What is your happiest or proudest moment?
Not sure there is any single moment. I am very blessed to have come
from such a loving family and I have navigated my way through some fairly
ambivalent times, where I wasn’t really sure what I wanted, or what I wanted to
do. I liked so many things, but didn’t have a strong passion for any of them.
Music? Engineering? Nothing? Getting married to my first wife Martha and
starting a family with three great kids was exhilarating and challenging. And I have had some professional moments that
were very rewarding. Creating, playing, and recording music has also been very
fulfilling, too. Finding love again in Stacy Jo has been a Godsend, as well as
taking my next steps in my walk with Christ.
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| Jordan, Anna and Kathleen |
10. What has been the most frustrating thing or biggest challenge in your
life
I saw my divorce as a personal
failure and it hurt terribly. Fortunately, Martha and I strived to put our
children’s needs first after the separation. They prospered even though the
marriage failed. We make it work regardless of the challenge.
1 11. What job did you do
most of your life? What did you like
most about it?? Least?
I worked for Eli Lilly and Company for nearly 33 years and retired
last year. I held several different positions in engineering, HR,
manufacturing, and Elanco (their animal health division). What I most liked
about Lilly were the people who helped mold me into who I am now and the
variety of jobs one could perform. The company pays well, has great benefits,
and invests in training and learning. If I had to say what I liked least it was
that there was really no connection to music.
12. If we asked a relative or good friend about your best and worst
qualities, what would they say?
Best qualities would be listening, understanding, helping, and problem
solving. Worst qualities might be passivity, conflict avoidance, and
ambivalence. Those closest to me might also say that I don’t routinely express
my thoughts or opinions routinely.
13. What do you do for fun now?
Hobbies? Special Interests?
I love cooking, entertaining, playing golf, listening to music,
playing instruments, traveling, spending time with family, and relaxing. I also
like playing video poker and chess, and reading for pleasure. I am fascinated
by history.
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| Brian relaxing? |
14. What one item in your life would you never give up? Why?
Probably my Martin guitar, or my collection of Beatles LPs.
1 15. What frightens
you? Why?
Not too much, really, give that many things frightened me when I was
young (the dark, bad storms, bugs). Today, I guess I am most frightened by sin
and its devastating effect on all of us. My mind is very creative and I can
think of horrific scenarios involving my family and friends that are too
gruesome to describe.
16. What is the best advice your parents gave you?
Work and save. It’s not what you make but what you keep. Pretty simple
advice but it can be quite uncommon with my peers.
17. What’s your best advice for living a good life?
Life is difficult so get used to it and carry on. Have faith in
something greater than yourself. Focus on the needs of others and you will be
fulfilled. Love is all you really need. Have fun and laugh.
You can read other PIKS articles here: PIKS 001: Diane and PIKS 002: Mike.
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