Roy Johannesen

Residence:        

411 Hawthorne Rd, Colfax, CA 95713           E-MAIL ROY

CCS Class Year 1975
Graduated from Seminole High School, Seminole, FL
Marital Status Married
Spouse:  Carla Johannesen
Children: Kate Lydie Johannesen (22) and Alexander Johannesen (21)
Grandkids: Not yet
College/Schools Master of Science and PhD coursework (ABD NO dissertation-too many kids to feed)
Occupation: Webinar Course Developer for Professional Engineers and Architects (present endeavour)
Writing, including technical papers and editorials dealing with energy; as well as biographical sketches that might contain a "stretcher" or two.......... or three.....
Past Residences:
Seminole, FL
US Navy - USS Butte-AE-27 homeported in Earle, NJ and deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea; with occasional liberty to the countries of that ancient region of history and culture;
(also based in Orlando, FL; Charleston, SC; (Saratoga Springs!) NY; Groton, CN; Brooklyn, NY; Earle, NJ; and last but not least; Philadelphia, PA)
after my enlistment was up, life took me to:
Gainesville, FL
Cincinnati, OH
St. Petersburg, FL
Pensacola, FL
Cary, NC
Colfax, CA
 
Past Jobs
Research Engineer I - General Electric Aircraft Engines
Research Assistant - NASA & University of Florida
Extension Faculty - College of Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida
Senior Engineer - New Products & Services, Florida Power Corp.
Extension Faculty - College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Florida
Director of New Products & Services, NOPEC (Biodiesel - i.e. "No OPEC" - we were ahead of our time in 1997, but this is an exploding field now)
Vice President of Research, Solmates Corp ("Solar for Schools" web development - check out "solar for schools" on the web; this utility-fielded solar program has now spread across the country!)
Performance Contract Engineer - Honeywell International Inc. (engineering multi-million dollar self-paying energy-savings projects for the US Air Force, et al; ex: Travis AFB)
 
Other Activities long-distance runner, biker, hiker, backpacker, solar development, writing, working with at-risk youth, staying married, and launching two exceptional children who are now finishing-up their degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Environmental Science; respectively, at UVM.

Favorite Teacher(s):

Mr. Otis (5th grade); Mr. Luke (6th Grade); Ms. Idleman (7th-grade History)
Memories:
'Growing-up tramping through the verdant woods and fields that surround and envelope Cambridge, as well as attending school at CCS from kindergarten - to - 10th grade leaves an indelible impression upon one's psyche and soul; at least it did for me. So I would very much like to re-connect with my roots, and the fine people I grew-up with.  One memory that makes me smile is listed here:
 
I love history:  So I LOVED the history of our little village and to this day, Cambridge remains to me a place out-of-time.
 
When young, I casually walked down the local roads that were so vital 200 hundred years ago to the founding of our Country.  From arrow-heads found during spring-planting, to the Earth-shaking Battle of Saratoga that happened all around Cambridge, to the 18th century grave-yard and its headstones of revolutionary war soldiers and militia-farmers that rest forever just a few hundred yards up the Turnpike road from our old house.; Cambridge simply drips with the most decisive history of the Revolutionary War that founded our nation; even as it has managed to sit-out most of the unchecked and rampant development that has over-run so many other beautiful and historic birth-marks of our great land.
 
I still remember when my cousin Dave's older teen-aged brother, Mike, was waiting at that Historic Marker (the "Dinondawaha - Trail"; located at the End of Academy St. and the Beginning of Turnpike Road) to rendezvous with a girl that he did NOT want to introduce to young-me and my two even-younger brothers.  So of course my brothers and I pesticated him unmercifully as he tried-in-vain to shoo-away our soon-to-be embarrassing presence.
 
We were very curious about this impending meeting; but Mike eventually did manage to keep us un-educated as to guy/girl interactions, as we finally gave-up and left him in peace to meet this mysterious female (who seemed to be rather late in arriving).  I suspect that Mike has no recollection of this event, but I still think of him and that beginning-of-the-End-of-Innocence  Episode (for me) that took place so many years ago, in front of that Historical Marker-sign, one fine summer evening.  At the edge of our little town.  RJ
 
There is so much more to say; but time and space limit me to saying that Cambridge will ALWAYS feel like home to me; even though I became yet another unwilling expatriate, whose family moved away for economic reasons when I was in 10th grade.  But I must thank all those many fine friends; many that I didn't even know I had, who helped me cope with growing-up, (like when Dick Cummings got me through that horrible first day of coming to school wearing brand-new and quite-stylish black-plastic horn-rimmed glasses - when we were about half-way through sixth grade); and for all the many kindnesses I received  from so many more wonderful people.  Note to Bill Moses:  We STILL have to make good on our pact to travel to Alaska that we made back in 6th grade!.  (And I STILL have lead in my knee from the pencil-point you inserted there!)
 
Finally, I am compelled to ask for the forgiveness of all those who I hurt through any of my many immature actions, committed in large part  during those dreadful early teen-years when I was struggling to find my place in the world, and didn't care who I hurt to do it.
 
 
Military Service 'US Navy enlisted in 1975, discharged in 1981; went to school on the GI Bill ASAP

Comments:

There are too many "favorite" teachers to do them proper justice; but I would also like to mention Ms. Rymph (Latin -7th & 8th grade).  And ESPECIALLY Bob Cheney, who now lives in the house next to the one I grew up in in Cambridge, and who was both my mentor (even if he didn't know it) as well as my soccer coach.
 
When I was young, I could not conceive of living anywhere else than Cambridge.  And in retrospect; it seems that in ways both physical (Colfax. CA is hill-country) and mental; I have ever-sought to return to that Place I was born and that is part of my DNA; ever since I left so long ago.  So it is a delight to fill-out this form, and to say to all the people I parted company with so long ago; that you all helped me act upon the better angels of my nature as these years continue to roll by; many thanks!.  RJ
 
 

INDEX   Index of Classes     Index of Personal Pages   Alumni Questionnaire   Former Students Directory  Former Students Questionnaire 
 Our Servicemen &Women  Red Rose List   Tributes
Reunion Pictures   Scrapbook   Sports Scrapbook  Cambridge Pictures  Search This Site  Links