JOE WETTER SHARES HIS BIO AND WELCOME TO THE BIG NDHS CLASS OF '57 REUNION

After Notre Dame High School Graduation Joe Wetter, AKA: William J. Wetter and “Daddy Joe” Wetter, went on to attend Pierce, San Jose State and San Fernando Valley State Colleges with a modicum of success before Uncle Sam caught up with me. I beat the draft to enlist in Army Intelligence (an Oxy-Moron as we all should know) only days before I was to be drafted.

During my three years in the Army I was stationed in numerous Army locations within the Continental U.S. At one of these I met my future wife, who was then my commanding officer's civilian secretary at 5th Army HQ in Chicago. She’s put up with me for 44 years now. Her only shortcoming is her inability to recognize she has a substandard husband (thank God for that).

We have 3 great kids, Rob, Lisa and Lori and 8 wonderful grandkids. Really they are! I know. I know. Everybody says that. But in this case it’s the truth!!! We’ve traveled all over with them (Hawaii, Puerto Vallarta, Italy) and I can still say that!

When I got out of the Army I embarked on a 42 year career in Insurance Underwriting and Risk Management Consulting which I’m still doing. A glutton for punishment, you might say. But I love it. It’s allowed me to work in many neat places including the Bay Area, Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis and Cleveland (OK so the last one is a stretch but we really liked it there too). And we’ve made a lot of friends in all those places and then some. I earned a number of Insurance Professional Designations (CPCU, CLU, ChFC, among others) which made up somewhat for my less than stellar collegiate academic record and have met and made many new friends through those professional organizations. In fact I’m still active in the CPCU Society and am a Western Regional Governor. I guess I just don’t know when to quit.

Arline and I moved back to Southern California in 2001 to be near our son and 3 of our grandchildren in beautiful Camarillo by the Sea (OK so it’s not by the sea but I can drive there!).

I went to San Fernando High School’s 50th Reunion a few months back and saw a lot of my old teammates from Little League and Junior League baseball and Junior Hi-Y sports teams. Boy did they look old. I’m glad I don’t! Wait a minute did I denote a snicker on your part. Of course I don’t look old - Isn’t self deception wonderful!!! I look forward to seeing all my old (and I use that term loosely) classmates at the 50th Reunion on October 13. I hope you all do too.