SEE / FIND HAROLD'S BABY PICTURE

Harold (Harry) Vatcher to 2002

After leaving RHS (not graduated) in (I believe) 1962, I worked for CNR as a clerk.  They recognized my talent and skills (or my BS) and got me into the computer area. Image, folks, someone who has been working on computers since about 1964!  So, worked for CN, and few other companies, through 1968 when I got married. (No one from school).

I stayed in the computer field, but moved to Sudbury, Ontario for a few years.  Had a daughter (Tammy) while in Sudbury, and, got divorced as well.

Back to Montreal in about 1973, and back to old RHS friends. Re-grouped with our old Wednesday Night Club gang, which was really an excuse to hang out with the guys at Ducks!

Well, I stayed in the computer business, and again left town.  This time to join Computer Science Corporation (CSC) in Calgary.  I was there for about 1 ½ years and then moved back to Toronto with CSC until 1981.  I did not like living in Calgary although it did give me the opportunity to raise my skiing skills.  I often say I was in Calgary for 2 ski seasons rather than a year and half.  Living within 2 hours of some of the best skiing in North America was awesome!

Stayed single through those years. I traveled a lot, many trips between Toronto and Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa, and Los Angeles.  It seems like I was never home, so no time for a serious relationship. Lots of time for non-serious ones, however!

When CSC offered me the opportunity to go to LA I jumped at it. Some friends may remember I was a big California fan most of my life.  Beach Boys and the surf songs, the beach parties I would organize (beach parties in Montreal - yes, we did it), Drag Racing! All California stuff.  I was born to be a Californian!

I moved to LA in 1981.  Still with CSC but a different division.  CSC got my working papers for me to be able to live and work in the US. Called a Green Card.  I am still a Canadian Citizen but have resident status down here.

Not much skiing in Southern California so I took up sailing.  I got qualified to use club boats up to 40'.  For many years, all the Canadian visitors were treating to a day of sailing each time they came down. And there were a lot of such visitors.  In anticipation of that I had rented a 3 bedroom house in Huntington Beach.  Often, the house was full with visitors!

I got into boating quite a lot, as well as "real" beach parties.  It was interesting.  When I got here I saw the fire pits on the beach and figured people must often have beach parties. Not so, at least not at night. I started organizing them (some things never change) and even the locals started having fun with it.  They had taken things for granted (as we all do). It took a foreigner to rejuvenate the event. Great fun.  Large fire, hot dogs, beach volleyball, nighttime swimming, a few beers (not legal but you were not bothered if you weren't belligerent). Great times!

Anyway, lots of boating and beach time.  I got married down here in 1985 (since divorced). We were together for about 8 years total.  Had our wedding on the beach!  John DeBenedetti was the best man!  John and I have kept in touch over all these years.  I'll let him tell his own story but he has been a very good friend to me all this time!

Sailing fell away (moved from the area), but got into some power boating.  My brother Russ moved to LA during this time and he was into power boating.  He liked large (42') power boats.  They were not my style.  I eventually bought a 19' water ski boat and cruised the inland waterways down here.  That was my kind of fun.

Now, single again (divorced 10 years ago), and living in an area called Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. This is located about 10 miles south of the Los Angeles airport. As luck had it, I ended up with a house with an ocean view! Not a fancy house.  But the view is spectacular

I have gotten back into skiing somewhat. I go to Breckenridge, Colorado 2-3 times a year. Great skiing and good partying as well.  Yes, I still like to party!

I'm still in the computer business.  I now work for a company called Ceridian.  You may know them as a payroll company in Canada.

Now for fun my time is skiing a few times a year, riding my bike along the beach (great scenery!) and golf (when I get my shoulder working - broke it skiing).  Not great at any of these things but enjoy them. I do some travel with work (back to Atlanta mostly).  Get back to the Montreal area about once a year.  Still have some family in Montreal. Other family are in Ottawa, Toronto, and various places in the West.

I love hearing from old (time - not age) friends.  It's great to see more of our generation getting comfortable with computers.  I think there will be much greater opportunity for us to re-gain links to people who were important to us earlier in our lives but somehow slipped away.  I personally have great memories, (and stories) of the days of RHS, sitting on the side of the (then new) reservoir, or, the Wednesday Night Club (guy thing), or … Have to be careful and protect the old crowd! (grin).  In any case - I wrote this for, I'm not sure who originally, from the old crowd.  It's a good starting point of the life of Harold (ok, Harry) Vatcher.

That's my story - that what Harold (Harry) has been up to over the past 40 years!

Look forward to seeing everyone at the school reunion.

Harold (Harry) Vatcher