Robert DeLossa
Withdrawing from UCLA as an Engineering freshman won me a ticket to the Army, where I got to serve with hundreds of thousands of other unfortunates. It was the incompetent, leading the unwilling to do the unnecessary…so I had no trouble adapting. I also learned that “mother” was just half a word. Unlike the other 80,000+ men that came back in a bag, I was one of the lucky ones. Very lucky, indeed. My orders were changed from the Republic of Viet Nam to the Presidio of San Francisco while I was in transit. Martin Luther King had just been assassinated, which made riot-trained MPs more valuable Stateside than in the pond. But that’s another story. I still haven’t made up the two years that were taken, but I’m getting close.
Eventually, I graduated from CSUN with a BS QBA and entered the world of computer sales. I worked for Digital Equipment and Prime Computer for the early part of my career. My sales career took its toll on my first marriage of 13 years. Luckily, I had no children. As microcomputers became ubiquitous, I worked for Ashton-Tate and Blythe Software, where I became more of a programmer/analyst than a sales engineer. In the early 1990’s, I won contracts with FEDEX and Disneyland and then started my own company…The Mini Micro Connection (see mmconnection.com).
Twenty-four years ago, I joined hands with Sandy, who is 15 years my junior. My eldest daughter finished Cal Poly SLO two years ago, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Robyn, my only other child, will graduate Cal Poly SLO this year. I sometimes think God has a sense of humor, giving me two girls. Like most lucky dads, I am very proud of my girls.
Sandy pretty much changed my spots. I have been singing as a tenor in our church choir for over 22 years and, as a group, we have performed at Lincoln Center and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
I live in Rancho Palos Verdes and work from home most of the time. I can see everything east, starting from the Los Angeles Harbor to the fireworks at Disneyland and the shoreline of Newport Beach. Over the years, I have converted a modest house into a pretty nice two-story home, with views out of most of the windows. I did most of the work myself, so it must be my hobby.
Three of our classmates are still my best friends: Mike England and I talk and visit and tinker on projects all the time. Kirk Lamb and I enjoy cooking dinner for each other or just having drinks or a night out. Joann Nelson and I are really cousins and she is always there for me.
As bad as the 1960’s were, they left many powerful and good memories to this day. So much of our personalities were formed in school, by teachers like Mr. Jim Anderson and Mr. David Schneider…to name a couple. And the friends we made then will be in our hearts forever. We should embrace them while they are still alive. Jennifer Jones and her husband visited me only a few years ago and now she is gone. How sad I was to hear the news and how glad I was to have re-connected with her as an adult before she died.
Eventually, I graduated from CSUN with a BS QBA and entered the world of computer sales. I worked for Digital Equipment and Prime Computer for the early part of my career. My sales career took its toll on my first marriage of 13 years. Luckily, I had no children. As microcomputers became ubiquitous, I worked for Ashton-Tate and Blythe Software, where I became more of a programmer/analyst than a sales engineer. In the early 1990’s, I won contracts with FEDEX and Disneyland and then started my own company…The Mini Micro Connection (see mmconnection.com).
Twenty-four years ago, I joined hands with Sandy, who is 15 years my junior. My eldest daughter finished Cal Poly SLO two years ago, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Robyn, my only other child, will graduate Cal Poly SLO this year. I sometimes think God has a sense of humor, giving me two girls. Like most lucky dads, I am very proud of my girls.
Sandy pretty much changed my spots. I have been singing as a tenor in our church choir for over 22 years and, as a group, we have performed at Lincoln Center and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
I live in Rancho Palos Verdes and work from home most of the time. I can see everything east, starting from the Los Angeles Harbor to the fireworks at Disneyland and the shoreline of Newport Beach. Over the years, I have converted a modest house into a pretty nice two-story home, with views out of most of the windows. I did most of the work myself, so it must be my hobby.
Three of our classmates are still my best friends: Mike England and I talk and visit and tinker on projects all the time. Kirk Lamb and I enjoy cooking dinner for each other or just having drinks or a night out. Joann Nelson and I are really cousins and she is always there for me.
As bad as the 1960’s were, they left many powerful and good memories to this day. So much of our personalities were formed in school, by teachers like Mr. Jim Anderson and Mr. David Schneider…to name a couple. And the friends we made then will be in our hearts forever. We should embrace them while they are still alive. Jennifer Jones and her husband visited me only a few years ago and now she is gone. How sad I was to hear the news and how glad I was to have re-connected with her as an adult before she died.
Remember to click on photo to enlarge them
Family Portrait (2011). Right after Natalie got her hair straightened. What a shock.
Lincoln Center Performance (2014) Chilcott's Requiem (Chilcott conducting).
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Mixing business with pleasure at the Montreal Jazz Festival (2011)
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The "Friends" television set (2014). Natalie did an internship with Warner Bros Australia.
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Venice (2009). The kids left the U.S. ambivalent about being 5/8 Italian. They came home as real Pisans.
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Enjoying caviar in Tallin, Estonia (2015)
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With friend and classmate David Mertz (2012)
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St. Petersberg (2015). An amazing city, equal to Rome or Paris.
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Robyn's Prom, 2012. My baby is now a young woman.
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Comments
Hi Rob, I am so happy that you made the detour to the beautiful Presidio! That is one of my favorite spots in the Big City! Looking at your beautiful family makes this detour even more special! I think that your daughters are beautiful as is Sandy! One day I will get to Italy too, our good Italian Roots. See you in October
Gloria
Gloria