CHS - Class of 79
History Since Graduation

Randy Smith

Can you believe we have been out of HS for 20 years, does this mean we're getting old or just getting better (I like to think it is better!).  It will be great to see everyone in July, see who looks the same, who has gone bald, who has gained weight, who has slimmed down (you never know) and who is just as crazy.  I know I am, in the crazy way of thinking, just the same as I ever was.  Here is a short synopsis of where I've been, what I've done and where I'm going.

As some of you know, after we graduated I stayed around Corinth the next two years working at Independence Sign Company.  For some reason I thought that was a good job and didn't go to college, but allowing yourself to be wrong isn't a bad thing.  During this time I started dating a girl from Shiloh, Judy Whitaker. Well, we got crazy one day and went to Alabama and tied the knot. The good news is, we are still married.  18 years next month.

Shortly after we married it was off to California. The ones who knew me remember I always said I was moving as quickly as possible.  However, I never thought I was going to be moving around as much as I have.  The first year in California we lived in Modesto, San Rafael and then in San
Francisco.  While in SF we met some of our old Corinth buddies and rented a 10 room flat on Pine Street.  Shortly after moving to SF, I decided I needed a job (go figure).  Well the Air Force wouldn't take me quickly enough, so I joined the Army, 71L Administrative Specialist (beats being in the infantry).  After boot camp at Fort Knox, KY, I was stationed at Fort Ord CA (next to Monterey CA), on the weekends we would go party at Big Sur.  If you haven't gone there you need to. Spectacular.

After a year and a half at Ft Ord, the Army got crazy and shipped me off to Frankfurt, Germany.  During this same time we got pregnant (well Judy did). Judy decided to go home to have the baby.  This left me in Germany for almost a year without the family (had a terrible time going to Venice, Paris and all over the countryside with out them).   I extended my tour and brought my family over in October of 84.  I finally got out of the Army in Nov. 85, we flipped a coin and then moved to Memphis (worst and best flip of my life).

With in three weeks of moving to MEM I landed a job with a company called V. Alexander, Customs Broker.  We cleared the international freight for FedEx coming into MEM from Canada, Far East, Europe and Mexico.  I moved into management and hired some of my friends from Corinth (Vic Austin, James Jones, James Kelder) and together we ran the Customs operations at the FedEx International Hub for the next three and a half years.   During this time I took up the great game of GOLF, an excellent but frustrating game.  About this time another company (Fritz) came in and took over the account, all of us went over to Fritz but after one week I decided to quit (man that was crazy).   This was four months before our last reunion.

I jumped into the auto glass industry for the next two years.  Ended up running five glass shops in MEM and learned a lot about the industry, actually it is a very good and profitable job (just not for me).  I came to my senses and went back to Fritz and the Hub, started back at the bottom but after a year I was back in management and then senior manager of Hub Operations and became a licensed Customs Broker.  I became the traveling man for Fritz, went all over western Canada and visited Anchorage Alaska several times (it's true that it really never gets totally dark in the summer up there). They got tired of me asking for automation to support the operation and gave me the job of Information Systems Manager, at least I had the opportunity to go to school and learn information technology (and continue going, never ending subject).

Two years ago FedEx offered me a job here in Colorado Springs as a Business Application Advisor, with a very little twist of the arm I took it.  Currently I'm the Project Manager of a new Customs Clearance system that has taken me around world and back capturing business requirements.  The first six months of '98 I went to Canada, Italy, France, England, Japan and Malaysia, had the opportunity to play golf in Stansted England (shot like a dog).  Judy currently works for the school
district as a Special Education Paraprofessional, but really doesn't like the Colorado weather or the fact it isn't very green out here (she does like to ski).  Evan is in high school now, time does fly, and is into inline roller hockey.  I'm mainly into work, golf and racquet ball.  The way it's going we will most likely be moving the the Carolina's after Evan gets out of High School.

This may have been way too much to write, but it's been a long 20 years.  Hope to see all of you in Corinth soon!!