My dad grew up in Elmwood—the youngest of four—determined to become something more than what his own father had shown him was possible.
After graduating from St. Bernard High School, he nearly flunked out of UC’s engineering program, competing head-to-head with St. Xavier grads and facing a brutal reality check.
But instead of giving up, he dug in, made up his mind in advance, and rose. He started as a co-op at GE—and retired from the same company 40 years later.
At just six months old, I was swept into his dreams of more, as he moved our family to Italy, then England, then Paris—showing us the beauty of Europe before we could fully appreciate it.
This is one of my favorite photos: my dad’s protective spirit, his quiet strength, captured on a mountainside in Austria after a picnic.
Thank you, Dad—for believing in something bigger than the life you came from.
For building something better. For you. And for us.
I love you.