I started my computer career at Bell Labs in January, 1970. I was fortunate enough to work in the original UNIX Support and Development Group located at the Indian Hill facility in Naperville, IL. I spent many enjoyable years (~14) at "the labs". I also worked in various supervisory positions. Through the years I've been blessed with meeting many wonderful people, many of whom I've had the opportunity to work with, and also a few brushes with greatness . I've also added a list of classmates from Carl Sandburg Class of 1969.
I left "the labs" in January 1984 and travelled around the country doing UNIX training. In 1985 I began concentrating on my wife Eve's floppy disk business ( MSS). The company began providing UNIX services and selling AT&T computers in November of 1985. The company grew rapidly to over $40Mil/year in 1989 - the year we sold the business and retired.
I came out of retirement for a short time in June of 1994 and started a new computer related business. I ended up selling this business to a Fortune 500 company in April of 1995.
Since then I've been spending time with the family, fishing and travelling, but I still spend a significant amount of time hacking UNIX code, and lately doing web stuff... I no longer work actively on a pet project I called "System Sentry", but now and then I'll look back at the code and say: "I can't believe I wrote all of this!"... This package allows a single person to administer over 400 heterogenous UNIX machines running a variety of types and versions of UNIX. It is a never ending project and is no longer receiving the attention it deserves - especially since it is almost complete enough to distribute.... So, if you are a UNIX hack (with lots of Admin experience and time ) and want to continue this project, send me some Email! (update: I stopped working on this project on 11/01/2000, and a lot of things have changed since then...)
I formed a new company with some friends in August 1998 - NetGain Motors, Inc. We built an electric powered dragster and had some success getting sponsors. We ran a series of experiments dealing with hybrid power supply systems (not hybrid drive systems!) with assistance from NASA . This company also develops electric motors. You can check out the description of the dragster we built at: NetGain Motors, Inc. -Dragster. I also converted a go-kart for my son, ( NetGain Motors, Inc. - Gokart Project).
I have completely turned over the day-to-day operations of the motor business to my son (Hunter) and daughters (Hannah and Hollie). I can only say they are far better than I was at running it more like a business instead of a hobby. They have done a remarkable job of growing the business.
Eve and I have retired to Twin Lake, Michigan - about 200 miles from Chicago. We are on one of the 4 lakes (West Lake) in the area and we love it. I recently told Eve that Fall was one of my 4 favorite seasons at the lake. We are open to visitors and have plenty of room.
My Family
I have four children, Heidi(1971), Hannah(1981), Hollie(1984), and Hunter(1991), and of course my wonderful wife Eve(??).
Heidi was responsible for European Lease Marketing for Pitney-Bowes and was stationed in London till March, 2001. Heidi married August 28th, 1998 to Chris Vassalotti! Chris is a civil engineer by trade, and worked for a UK company that produces software that runs on UNIX systems (what a coincidence)! Heidi then worked at Experian in Schaumburg , IL. managing a credit services sales force. My first grandchild was born in 2003! His name is Luca and was followed shortly thereafter by a sister - Viv! Chris worked for Open Text - managing global business development for the construction market vertical. Their grand finale before returning to the US was a tour de world (2 month excursion) included: India, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Fiji. Heidi currently works for a tile company so that she can explore her creative side and Chris has joined a new start-up company that is doing quite well.
Hannah did some time at Moraine Valley Community College and College of DuPage (which she liked) worked full-time at Liberty Mutual. She is still the socialite of the family. She is interested in interior design. She worked for a credit card processing firm in Oakbrook, Illinois. She and her best friend from high school (Mandy) shared a house in Westchester, Illinois. She married her high school sweetheart (Jason Etzkorn) and they have 3 wonderful children (and 2 step sons) and live in Plainfield, Illinois.
Hollie completed her time at Lemont High School and then to our shock, and dismay joined the U.S. Army! Actually we are so proud of her that we could burst! During High School she was active in the drama club. She was outstanding as the White Queen in Lemont High Schools production of "Alice in Wonderland" and also had a lead role in "Ten Little Indians", "Arsenic And Old Lace", "The Odd Couple", and "Cheaper By The Dozen". She was very involved in drama club presentations and was in the Spring musical. Hollie also had a part in the Lewis University production of Romeo and Juliet. After two years in the Army, Hollie returned home safe and sound! Though she was trained as a refueler of vehicles, she was the Network Administrator for the General's staff at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Eve and I made a couple of trips to visit her. She was working with a great group of people. She married Anthony Rossi, went to work at Liberty Mutual and has 2 beautiful kids! Now she's helping Hunter run the motor business.
Hunter is President and technical support at NetGain Motors (where is the time going!?). He bought a house in Michigan (about one & 1/2 hours from Chicago), but travels back to the office regularly. He enjoys woodworking, playing guitar (he's really good and is in a band) and being outdoors.
Eve loves all her grand-kids. She lights up whenever they are around or video call her. She loves her beach and can be found cleaning it most summer days.
Me? I have my fishing boat, rigged the way I want it, and fish occasionally (Mon-Sun)! I haven't been back to Canada fishing in quite awhile. I had planned a trip for summer of 2020 with my son and son-in-laws, but 2020 didn't go quite as planned. If you want to go fishing send me an Email.
I grew up in Palos Park, IL., a GREAT place to be a kid - back then! I guess I liked it so much that most people say I still haven't grown up - and I won't argue the point! I attended SD 118 and attended high school at Carl Sandburg SD230. (My Mom, Dad and Grandfather(96) ("the chief") moved from Palos to Lockport in 2003. My Dad, younger sister (Jackie), Grandmother, Grandfather, and brother-in-law (Rodger) have all passed away.)
I primarily lived in the Illinois area my entire life, with the exception of the U.S. Army that relocated me to Ft. Lewis, Washington state, Texas ( San Antonio and Killeen - wonderful Ft. Hood ), and Korea ( Taegu ) for a year.
Eve and I met at "the labs" around 1973 and started dating on August 25th, 1975. We lived in Naperville after we were married in September 1978. From 1989 to 2008 we lived in Lemont, IL. It's a GREAT little town! I was one of the founding members of the Lemont Sertoma and I was elected to the school board in November 1997 where I served for 8 1/2 years. Lemont is the kind of town where everyone knows your name, and when you walk down the street people smile and say "hello". Actually, the area we lived in is not within the city limits. It is an area known as Equestrian Estates. We had LOTS of nice neighbors and people in the community. I was one of the original Board of Directors for Turning Point USA and also served on the Selective Service Board (Draft Board). I moved to Michigan in 2014, but we kept the house in Illinois while Eve continued to work at Liberty Mutual. When she left Liberty we sold the house and she joined me full-time in Michigan. I made over 104 trips between Michigan and Illinois over those two years.
During the summer (beginning in May, ending in September ~1992-2012) we spent a lot of time at a cottage in Wisconsin - just outside West Bend. The cottage was right on the lake, the kids had wave-runners, I had a fishing boat, and Eve had a ski boat. We used to spend 1-2 weeks in Minnesota on a dear friends island. (their island is the middle left one...) During the winter we'd try to get away to the Keys, Florida, Mexico or Hawaii. Eve once told me that I fish so much I should turn pro. I countered by saying "If I was good at it I wouldn't have to practice so much...." Most of my fishing friends probably agree with me. Gee, I'll bet with all this talk of fishing that you'd really like to see some of my trophy fish, so here they are:
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Wake me when we get there.... |
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My Interests
Computers are my second love, after Eve and the kids and grandkids, though to hear her tell it the order is reversed...... When the weather cooperated I would fish! Salt-water, fresh-water, trolling, casting, fly-fishing, drifting, or even walking the river. It takes my mind off everything. I guess this is my third love.
Eve and I have read ALOT! Books I like are usually science, and/or science fiction, although one of the BEST books I have ever read is Ray Kurzweil's " THE AGE OF SPIRITUAL MACHINES". You have got to read this book!
" Neanderthal" was alright, I just finished "Virus", and " Subterranean". I am currently working on " The Killer Angels" and " The Coming Plague". After reading " Outbreak" and " The Hot Zone" I find them interesting. I've also been listening to numerous audio books as I travel. Of course no book list would be complete without "The daVinci Code". I read all the Clive Cussler novels I can as well as the "Killing" series by O'Reilly.
The best book I 've read in a long, long time was " Chaos" by James Gleick. I suppose this is because of my still intense interest in artificial intelligence. If you enjoyed that link you will appreciate the fact that I have FINALLY solved the inference generation problem that had plagued me for the past 25 years. This entire project consumed a good portion of the last 40 years of my life.....
I still have a couple of quad-processor 3B2/1000-80's, as well as some 3B2/600's and a 3B2/700. I also use a couple of Pentium Pros ( NT, 95, 98, ME, Xp, 2000, 3.1, Linux ), a SUN IPX, and some "classic" systems. The "old-standby" UNIX/PC is still chugging away, and I have numerous Intel platforms for playing with various O/S's ( Inferno, Plan9, SCO, SVR4's, Linux, Beos, OASIS, etc. etc. ). Plus I maintain that area Eve hates and calls "my "museum" in the barn". (yes - I still have a Billings Z80! ) )!
Lately I've been looking into connecting things in the house to the 3B and to the PC's using X10 stuff.... The lights going on and off at all hours of the day and night are a testimony to my hardware ineptness!
I served on the Lemont -Bromberek Combined School District 113A's Board for 8 1/2 years, the final two as President. I was also a founding member of the Lemont Sertoma. I still like an occasional movie, as long as it's a sci-fi flick.
I also like to play with obscure science (i.e. Tesla Turbine), here is an example of recycling at its best....
 The Dragster Project
FVEAA Homepage
UNIX Source Archives
The National Electric Drag Racing Association
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This page was created by George F. Hamstra.
The last update to the page was on Monday, January 3, 2022.
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