Last year I retired as a portfolio manager of a large international equity mutual fund. Timing is everything, and regretfully, quite sadly, the fund that I used to manage is down 50% year to date, and the company I used to work for, Wachovia, is toast. Cash is good and I am retired. After Seascrest, I went to FSU, then was an officer in the USAF, and because I volunteered for Southeast Asia, I was able to get a one year "early out," so I only spent three years in the USAF. My goals in life was not to be poor and to have a happy family life. The Good Lord has blessed my family and I on both counts. Got my MBA at NYU, and started my investment career as a municipal bond analyst at Smith Barney. Met my wife Karen at The Marble Collegiate Church, which I went to as a New Year's Resolution. Norman Vincent Peale ("The Power of Positive Thinking") was the pastor there, and a great inspiration to me, Sunday after Sunday!!! Karen was the daughter of missionaries and spent three years in Costa Rica. I was on the "bond" side of life, then moved to Kuwait for two years to be the Investment Advisor to a large Kuwaiti merchant bank that managed some of the country's reserves. From Kuwait, Karen and I moved to London where we started raising our two young sons, Gilman IV and Andrew,who had British accents! We were there for several years before returning to the Boston area where I built the international investment effort for Evergreen, the mutual fund arm of Wachovia. I loved Seacrest, and enjoyed Ms. Hall's speech class. She was the best, and influenced my life. I stayed in touch with her while I was at FSU and in later years tried to reconnect through Seacrest, but she had moved on from Seacrest. Later in life, I used the public speaking skills she taught me on many occasions. I was part of a Banque Paribas delegation invited by the Chinese government to give presentations at The Great Hall, in Beijing, China, on the ECU and the ECU bond market. The ECU was the early version of the Euro, the currency now used in Europe. When I was in the municipal bond business, I gave testimony before Senate and House Congressional committees considering legislation to regulate the municipal bond industry. Mrs. Hall prepared me for those opportunities. And now I have been thinking about my Seacrest Spanish teacher, Mrs. kennedy, with the bright red rimmed glasses. That's because I'm taking Spanish II now, all these years later, at the local junior college. We have a house in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and I'm tuning up my language skills for the prospect of spending more time there. Fortunately, I can say "en el pasado" and "en el futuro" and I am thus able to only need the present tense. Anyone who would like to say "hi" can reach me at gcgunn@comcast.com
With the two of them in tow we continued with our annual hikes through the Carolinas, Erica making her first hike strapped to Monty's chest. Later, when they could hike on their own two feet, we began hiking the National Parks out west. We have hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon South Rim twice, sleeping over night at the Phantom Ranch on the canyon's floor. Over the years the Montana Four, and at times the Montana Two, have visited and hiked The Grand Canyon North Rim, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, The Badlands of Wyoming, The Great Sand Dunes of New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park, Big Bend in the lonliest outpost of Texas, and Banff In Canada. Eventually we got tired of walking, and needed a break, so we went white water rafting on the Colorado River. We have skied at Vail, Breckenridge, A-Basin, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Taos, Killington, Stowe, Snowbird, Deer Valley, The Canyons, and our favorite Park City in Utah. All of these family adventures are evidenced by the beautiful photo gallery which occupies every square inch of wall space in Monty's home office. Our daughter, Monica, attended Pope John Paul II High School in Boca, she played basketball, and she went on to play Intramural basketball at the University of Central Florida. She too thought she wanted to teach, but after 3 1/2 years of college she went to work for the Hyatt in Orlando, and has been there ever since.
Erica attended Spanish River High School, and she played volleyball. Through her 4 years of playing for the school, and for a club team, she earned a 4 year scholarship to play volleyball for West Virginia University, where she graduated in December, 2004. She is currently employed at the International Headquarters of Boston Proper, as an Assistant Buyer. All of our friends and family knew if it was possible, she would find a profession that involved clothes, shoes and jewelry. With the "empty nest" syndrome setting in we decided we needed to build a "new" nest. So, we bought 12 acres of land on a mountain in West Virginia (one of the most beautiful states in the US) and we physically built a cabin. It took us over five years to build it, and in the mean time we spent some very cold, sleepless nights there; and during the summer we spent some very hot, sleepless nights there. But finally it has all come together and we have a very functional cabin with all the conveniences (even a jacuzzi on the deck). We spend as much time there as we do in Florida each month. Our empty nest, Monty's retirement, and our love of adventure and keeping busy, have allowed us to continue our long time love of skiing, and each Winter we spend three or four weeks in Park City, Utah. When Tina first told me she planned to feature me as a Bio of the month, I thought . . . me? What interesting stuff have I done? I'm not a doctor, a real estate tycoon, an author . . . whatever will I say about my life? But I am so grateful that she did ask, because it made me sit down and think about me, my life, and my accomplishments. Me . . . I'm still the same. In our Senior Yearbook, the quote for me was, “I was always waiting for the next thing to happen” . . . that truly was foreshadowing. My life . . . it has been filled with laughter and love! My accomplishments . . . well that is easy, Monica and Erica, they are precious gifts from God.
I finished my MS/PhD in California then went into the US Army Reserves in 1986 here in Fla & worked full-time in the VA system as a Govt Svc employee.
I married a widower...no children...in 1996...who assited me in caring for my parents. After their deaths...we went to San Diego...to finish our govt svc/military retirements. We retired from the VA in 2003 & later retired from the US Army in 2005.
We experienced church problems and the congregation was moved to Florida City Baptist Church, where I worked as Assistant Pastor. Additional income was needed in our home so I applied to the Homestead Police Department and was accepted.
In 1980 at the rank of Sergeant I was moved into the Narcotics unit. My unit was detached to the Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA) United States Marshall Service, and U.S. Customs Service. It consisted of 13 officers and became one of the most elite drug units in Dade County ( Miami) Florida.
Our unit was responsible for the seizure of over $8,000,000.00 in cash, the seizure of over 100,000,000.00 in illegal drugs, the confiscation and forfeiture of homes, automobiles, airplanes, monies, jewelry and boats. During my career with the Department I was shot at 3 times (not hit), did narcotics deals in Puerto Rice, Jamaica, Martinique, Bahamas, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Dallas, Virgin Islands, and several other countries, as well as cities within the United States.
Promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1986, I continued as Director of the narcotics unit. Receiving numerous accommodations and awards, including Police officer of the year for the State of Florida.
My career as pastor took a turn in 1993 when Hurricane Andrew struck Homestead as well as did my career in the Narcotics unit. I was moved out of the narcotics unit and was placed back in uniform as the shift commander for the midnight unit. I also took on responsibility as Director of Habitat for Humanity for the rebuilding of Homestead. We rebuilt 40 homes before I was forced to retire from the Police department in 1996 due to budget cuts, yet receiving full retirement benefits. I also resigned my position at Habitat for Humanity.
In the early 80”s we had purchased 5 acres in Cape Cod, Massachusetts which had 5 clay tennis courts and 9 rental units. We felt this would be an ideal place to care for our aging parents. Little did I know that I would be retiring at the tender age of 47 so we founded Last Resort Ministries in Cape Cod. Since then we have seen our ministry grow as well as the business on the cape.
Because tennis a seasonal business, we wanted to do more during the winter. Through the ministry we work with orphans, foster kids, juvenile delinquents and those that are judged incorrigible. Working with several other churches we take about 300 kids from Georgia and Texas to camp in the summer and spring.
As assistant pastor of Grace Community Church ( during the winter months) we started a college this year in Pharr, Texas. It is called Grace Bible Institute. We have 10 students in each of our classes. These students are studying to be missionaries and pastors, or just good strong Christians.
During school breaks my wife and I travel into Mexico and help poor parents and children providing medicine and basic family skills, teaching the word of God. We gave out over 1000 Christmas presents, and Bibles during the Christmas holidays to these in need. Plans for next year include running the Business in Cape Cod, two trips to Mexico, teaching again at Grace Bible Institute, pasturing, various camps both during the summer and winter, and a speaking tour. Our six children ask when we are going to retire, and I say “why, do you want us to come jump on your beds?” God Bless all, Jon and Esther Van Rider
In 1968 I graduated from college with a B.A. in Spanish (gracias a Sr. Thain [J.C. Mitchell] y a Sra. Hostetler [Seacrest]). Immediately upon graduation, I went into the Regular Army, a very naïve second lieutenant with orders to Nam as a cavalry platoon leader. In the course of my military training I was injured and released from the Army without a clue as to what I was going to do.
So I became a hippie and got married--in that order. I still am both. I met my wife Susan in college. We were classmates and got married early in 1970. She has a Ph.D. and is a tenured university professor. She is also into her fourth term as an alderman. We have no kids.
After a couple of years wasting time doing various meaningless jobs, I got a position as a bilingual education teacher with a local K-8 school district. After a year I became the director of the program. After two more years I took a leave of absence and went to the University of Illinois at Chicago to earn a masters degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies. When I finished doing that I discovered that the rules in Illinois for bilingual education certification had changed, and, not having tenure, it was adios, Roberto.
Now what? Other than having a fairly convincing accent in Spanish, about the only thing I was ever any good at was music. I had played the guitar, sung, and written songs since I was a kid. While we were at Seacrest I had some remarkable opportunities for a young guy to travel and to perform in large and varying venues. I had continued to play and had started to record in college and had, in fact, always been involved with music at some professional level. A wonderful old musical mentor that I had during and after my college years told me when I was 21, “If there is any way you can get by without the music, do that. If there is no way to get by without it, God help you, and do it with all your might.” At age 28 I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t get by without it.
At age [almost] 58 I’m still knockin’ around the music business. It’s the only thing I know how to do. I own and operate a recording studio. People come into the studio to get recorded. I’m an engineer and a producer and have worked with an amazing variety of musicians and musical styles. I’ve also done commercials, voiceovers, and books on tape. And I’m a working performer. I play in a really good rock and roll and blues band, some of the members of which I’ve been playing with since the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I do solo work as well, playing Celtic music and original folk-rock and country. I am not rich. I am not famous. I love my life.
Another thing that makes me love my life is that in 1973, we were incredibly fortunate to acquire 40 acres of wilderness in Northern Minnesota. Over time that 40 acres have become 128 acres of woods and fields and half a mile of riverfront. This is our focus and our passion. The property contains a beautiful log cabin, hand-built 15 years ago out of our own trees, as well as an older farm house, barn, and outbuildings. We spend lots of time there and will live there, hopefully sooner than later.
That’s about it. If anybody that used to know me is ever in the Chicago area, it would be such a rush to see you. If you ever find yourself in the woods of Northern Minnesota, pop on by the cabin, and we’ll cook up some walleye for you.
Also—here comes the shameless self-promotion part—I have recently completed a double CD set of original country-flavored music, and my band has a CD of original rock and roll, plus we’re on the verge of finishing a CD of Beatles tunes. If anyone is at all interested in any of the above, just contact me. It would be my great pleasure to send you any and all at no charge.
Have a wonderful time. Re-live wonderful memories. And, oh yeah…BEAT LAKE WORTH!
<
<
<
<
<
<
