Bio, 2014: Rob Larson
Writing a bio is kinda like writing your own obituary. Had to do that when I was in Funeral School in Edmond in the late 80's, and may need another one soon, you never know, so here goes.I feel honored to be included with the class of '64, though I left Stillwater in August, 1962. Went to school with some of you for twelve years, starting in the Pre-school laboratory at OSU, then A&M, the kindergarten at St. Francis. My schooling was under a dark cloud. The building at OSU, St. Francis, Eugene Field (6th grade graduation) were all torn down instead of making them historical landmarks. You would not even recognize C.E. Donart these days, now Stillwater High School.
We moved to Wisconsin in 1962 - quite a culture shock for a born and bred Okie. After high school I went to the University of Wisconsin - Madison for two years, then did my Junior Year Abroad back in Stillwater at OSU, staying only one semester then returning to Wisconsin where I graduated with a BA in Social Work. I say my college career began at A&M in 1950, but my college career began in June, 1964, just days after high school graduation. My college days ended finally thirty seven years later at Phoenix College in Arizona, where I completed certification to manage Assisted Living facilities; this after a twenty-five year stretch as a professional student from 1964 to 1989 that included a master's degree in corrections and a second bachelors degree, in Funeral Service.
My educational path would not have been complete without stops at three seminaries - two Lutheran and a pontifical college. Those were about as successful as everything else, the blessed reverend thing did not work out and I was excommunicated from both the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches in September, 1976.
In between academic pursuits, I found time to dabble in the World of Work, though the most enjoyable of those were where I not only did not get paid, but had to pay to work there. General hospital, mental hospital, reform school, assisted living, Oklahoma State Penitentiary, Tinker Air Force Base, IRS, airport security before 9/11, Action, even a stint as graveyard clerk in a convenience store - been there, done that. Crime, death, taxes - got 'em all covered. After the short time at Big Mac, I founded the first private prison company in America, Square One, Incorporated, ahead of CCA by three years, but alas... the State of Oklahoma even stole our trade name and is using our trademark Oklahoma Correctional Industries, but it takes money to even defend yourself from government attacks.
My quest in search of the four basic questions was largely answered, three of the four, though without the fairy tale "happily ever after ending." The four basic questions are: Who am I, Where am I, Why am I here, and Where are the cookies? Like so many in our class, bi-products of World War II, I was adopted as an infant. The Who am I question, or rather Who WAS I question went unanswered until 1969, when Pandora's Box was first opened. Thirty years later, after finding parts of my birth family and having the Courts unseal DHS records, I got what Paul Harvey would call "the rest of the story." Fifty-three years to the day after being given up for adoption, I found a sister I had not known about. Not only was my brother an only child, so was my sister, and they had the same parents! We all inherited a mental disability, for which there is no cure, and in Stillwater, America - no treatment! My temper even has a name, named after my grandmother. As I said, this discovery answered lots of questions about why I have encountered many of life's travails, and there was no Oprah happy ending.
But there is a bright side, even though it, too, has its own dark cloud. I have been a foster parent to twenty-four children. And on October 30, 2001, the Court finally approved my son's adoption, with the help of his Unit Manager and the warden's secretary. He is a prisoner in custody in Oklahoma. He has been in custody over twenty-two years.
I am obviously not able to attend the reunion, but trust that those who are able to attend will have a great time. I hope that there will be suitable mention of classmates and their spouses who have passed.
In 2003 I got my life partner, a service dog, a ten pound poodle, that I need for medical reasons. His name is Mister Bojangles, but he only answers to Bobo, though a couple of years ago he was given the title, "His Royal Highness, The Crown Prince, Bobo," after his medical bills cost me a king's ransom.
Enjoyed reading everyone's bios. Thanks for reading mine - a nut case in a nut shell!
©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964