Bob LaVeyra

“Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.” ~William James

Things happened fast right after high school. I attended HVCC even though the President just finally arrived in 2009.

The summer of 1971, Paul Shannon and I spent a month or so traveling cross-country and hiking the Rockies. Did you see that cool dude with the ponytail at the Grateful Dead concert in Boulder Colorado that summer? That was me. They played for over 5 hours and threw “party favors” into the crowd during breaks. They were generous gifts but you needed your own papers, if you catch my drift. The party over, I returned home.

The next thing I knew, I was married and was working construction. I married Joyce Miller class of 1973, sister of our classmate Brenda Miller. Since I was the new guy in the survey crew on the Empire State Plaza, I was given the task of placing layout for rustification lines (patterned grooves) on the “Egg”, dangling from a rope ala Spiderman, as it was formed up during construction. Joyce and I had two wonderful sons, Rob and Ryan but we divorced several years later.

I worked on a variety of big construction projects including the Nine Mile II nuclear plant in Oswego, NY where I met and married my current wife, Mary. Mary had a daughter, Lauren and together we had a daughter Ellen.

In the mid 80’s we moved back to Guilderland where we lived for 20 years on Parkview Dr. After the last child, Ellen, graduated from Guilderland about six years ago, we moved to the country in Princetown, NY, where we presently reside.

I see below a space for Military Service. I did not serve but both my boys did, Ryan as an Army Ranger and Rob, still in, is an Army Green Beret. I have 4 grandchildren, as well.

Everything!

Here is a start: Woodworking, car restoration, hunting, shooting, fishing, skiing, projects of all types.

I like movies, music, photography and travel. Can excavating be a hobby? I have a Cat 312 and a tractor. I love having land and being able to walk out on it for bird and nature watching.

I have great Guilderland friends like Rod Schinnerer, Frank Pezze(home of the never ending party), John Chakmakas, John O'Donnell, the Shannon boys - Paul and Jim and Bill Stalker. I have been a member of the CCVC(Cape Cod Vacation Club) for over 25 years - ask Pezze for details and photos.

I worked as an aid volunteer for a week after hurricane Katrina.

I like reading.

I saw where several other classmates mentioned firewood as therapy. I have a Stihl saw and a chain grinder for razor sharp blades (my father was a machinist), forks for my tractor to move my firewood placed on pallets. It reduces the amount of handling. That's a good example of my approach to many things-overkill.

Oh, and I've been going to a gym working out, often 5 days a week, for the last 30 years. Good nutrition is my current craze.

I always liked the way we would sit in the same seats at lunch every day, as if they were assigned, and with impeccable timing I would deliver the punch line to some stupid joke, while Jim Hall was drinking his milk, inevitably causing him to spew it on Al Nolan.

Then there was "El Senior Hola Drake", who loved all things Spanish but mostly the Inquisition, techniques from which he utilized in his classroom.

I was delighted to see so many classmates give Mr. Vickery such a favorable review. I wish to add my accolades to this standout teacher in my past.