The month I graduated from West High, I started summer school at the UW. Ten years later I finally finished schooling and went to Washington DC to practice economics. Here I have stayed, though after another 10 years I shifted from evaluating federal Housing programs for HUD to forecasting revenues and analyzing tax policies for Congress. You shouldn’t credit or blame me for the current state of the tax code though, I have had very little influence.

While in graduate school in California I was know for dating women from Wisconsin. I finally found the right one: a graduate from West High in 1958 and a former girl friend of my brother Lee. We eventually married and adopted Damon and Dustin who now are 29 and 23 years old. They brought me another chance to experience the struggles and joys of high school. Looking back, I see they, like me, mainly enjoy the friends we made through school, and thank a few teachers for the start they gave us. Neither son has shown my devotion to further schooling. Damon dropped out of college to start a computer services company and Dustin hasn’t started, preferring extreme rollerblading and videography. Both talk about going eventually, which is one reason I keep working.

I greatly enjoyed seeing old friends at the 40th reunion. I will not be able to make this year’s because of a family reunion in July honoring my father who died in March. He never recovered from a stroke he had just before our 40th reunion. I know that many of you have been going through similar experiences. When my Mom was reminiscing about her life with Dad, I found out that Mary Dole’s parents attended my parents’ wedding in 1940. Mary’s father and mine had been friends in college. A few years ago, my parents sold our home at 210 S. Owen Drive to my nephew, Ismael and his wife. They have renovated it and moved in. I hope they will have children to send to West for a 3rd generation of Ozannes.

I plan to work until somewhere in my upper 60s if health and employers are willing. I have no plans for what to take up in retirement, but I would like to attend the next reunion.