Autobiography for Mr. Wigger

 

This is the first draft of my autobiography.  I plan to add several pictures and videos to this as time progresses. 

 

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.  I graduated from Morning High 6/1963.  I took science classes and general education requirements at El Camino College in Torrance, California for 1 yr.   I transferred to USC and graduated with a BS in Biology, and minors in Math and Chemistry, 6/1968. 

 

I met my dear sweetheart through a computer match in 1/1966 and married her July 9, 1966.  The best decision I ever made!  We started our family in April 1978, when our first son, Ben, was born.  We have three grown children:   Ben, Jacob and Celeste.  Ben and Celeste are married now and Jacob is still thinking about it. 

 

I first taught school at El Sereno Jr. High 9/68 – 6/72.  My subjects were Biology for 1 year (at the High School before the 6yr school was split), and general science for 3 years.  Next I did various types of sales jobs in computers and found jobs for operators and programmers of computers. 

 

Balloon Wrap was started in by 1989 by me and a partner and supported my family with it until my children were all grown.  I still run the business from my home on a very part-time basis.  Chemistry seems to consume almost all of my time.  The web site has been a tremendous task, but has improved my instruction.  I truly hope that the web site has been a great help to my students as well. 

 

Helen and I both returned to teaching in September 1999.  I taught 3 different types general science and algebra at Los Altos High School in the Hacienda – La Puente district.  After 3 years there both Helen and I found teaching positions in Glendale Unified School District, starting Sept 2001.  I have enjoyed teaching Chemistry here ever since. 

 

My favorite family day is Saturday.  Every Saturday Helen and I go to Santa Monica to take voice lessons with Erv Windward.  Erv is 89 years old and sounds like a man of 30.  He’s done wonderful things with Helen’s (my wife) and my voices.  But the real extra treat for me is that Jacob (my 2nd son) and Celeste (my daughter) meet there with us every week and also take voice lessons.  Here’s a picture of us taken recently:

 

 

 

 

Left to right are me, Celeste, Erv, Helen, Jacob and Celeste’s husband Aubry.

 

Here are 3 video clips of us singing:

            Jacob sings too – (7.5 MB, movie file)

            Jacob and his dad sing together – (9 MB, movie file)

            Jacob and his dad sing again – (9 MB, movie file)

            Celeste singing – (6.3 MB, movie file) 

            Celeste singing – (4.4 MB, movie file)

            Celeste singing – (5.3 MB, movie file)

            Celeste singing – (5.1 MB, movie file)

 

 

 

 

Here are Helen, Aubrey, Celeste, me & Jacob

 

 

 

Above left to right is me holding Helen’s hand (my wife), Ben (my #1 son) & wife Wendy,

Aubrey & my daughter Celeste, Emily (Jacob’s wife) and Jacob (my #2 son)

 

 

 

              

 

Here’s a great picture of Ben (my Marine son) and his wife Wendy.

 

Here is a video of Ben in flight!

            www.mrwiggersci.com/chem/ben-approach-takeoff.MPG (7.6 MB)

 

Here are a couple of carrier landings:

            Landing on the carrier, shows rope, full stop (5 MB) 

            Touch & Go landing on carrier (2.5 MB)

 

 

 

This is Helen (my wife) and me at Ben’s wedding.  We’re smiling because this was the time

we got to give the young couple advice in front of the whole wedding party!

 

 

 

Here is a picture of Jacob (my #2 son) and his wife Emily dancing. 

They both have a passion for swing dancing.