Seneca Valley High School Alumni
Harmony, Pennsylvania (PA)
James Wood
Seneca Valley High School
Class of 1966
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JAMES' PROFILE
| First Name | James |
| Last Name | Wood |
| Graduation Year | Class of 1966 |
| Gender | Male |
| City | N/A |
| State/Province | PA |
| Country | United States |
| Occupation | Self-employed |
| Married | No |
| Favorite School Memory | My favorite high school memory: Graduating.... The next day when I did not have to go back and I realized I was awake... it really wasn't a dream! |
| About Me | Since I left High School --- 1966 What have I been doing since High School lets see!! Well live takes a lot of twists and turns as "The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" When I left school I had plans to end up in the automotive industry which did not turn out to be the way it was to be. I married my high school sweetheart and that did not go the way I thought it would either, but through it all we were close till she past away 'I still miss her'. I have taken flying lessons and have my amateur radio license, went through that motor cycle thing also. I worked in sales and sold everything from Komutso Heavy Equipment to drag line dredging equipment, in the automotive field I sold Porsche automobiles and even earned my real estate license. I attended school at Butler county Community college and took courses at Penn State University. I even was a part owner in a Detective Agency and have taken schooling for that endeavor. I did meet some different people in that business venue and I did learn a lot about how life really works. We even did the Roll Rock Town Concert with the 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' I work with the promoter of the advent, That is something I really enjoy doing is putting on concerts it was different viewing it from the inside of the advent. There is lots of confusion trying to make everything happen in an orderly fashion a real challenge. I was also in a band for a while; you wonder which instruments did I play? Well I have mastered the radio & the phonograph. I lugged a lot of band equipment around and helped book band jobs I got to see what the in side of that business was like. The rewards were great I had a good time and did I mention the music was for free and we could drink all we wanted (love that Diet Coke) I was able to learn how to run the sound board from one of the best sound board operators. She could make any place rock! I met another wonderful girl, yes at the sound board and once again life did not turn out as I thought it would. I wanted to open an auto parts store but by chance ended up in the electronics industry this has lasted for the last 35 years. We sell and repair everything from police radio's to fire and commercial radio, we are one of the oldest warranty stations for Dynascan Corp. (Cobra) we have serviced all of their products form Phones, Scanners and CB radio equipment. At one time we were warranty for every one of the CB manufactures until the industry began to shrink. We were in the phone business before it became the cell business and had our own tower and service with phone capabilities, we have sold at one time or another all the major cell phone services and were even a cell sight for one. I was lucky enough to have been able to learn to water ski when I was about 10 years old but I have never mastered the slalom ski, with the help of friends I was able to get up on one ski and I did it!! 'it took a lot of practice' we then started to do that power boating thing and you know it is true "Too much is never Enough" if a little horse power is good a lot is better, we went from 502 Cu.In. Engine boat to a Blown 454 rated at 525 HP. Glad gas was only $1.25 a gallon for the high test. 'Did I mention at full throttle we could do all most 80 MPH in our 27 foot Fountain Power boat and we would burn 43 GPH'! After the thrill of having a boat wore off and 'the price for gas sunk in' we moved on to cars again it was time for another change. Can you believe it I have even held an elected office in my township! I was elected as one of the Auditors. In the years that have passed I have even been in the art business with 'Woody's Art" we sold automotive car art for a while and have taken and restored some old cars along the way. I always wanted to be in the automotive industry since I was about 10 years old. I stated with drawing cars and purchased my first car at age 15. It was a restored (frame off) Crosley. They were manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio over the years you name it I had one or another. If you knew me in high school I had a thing for Studebakers and I was sticking big engines into them. The first was a 1960 Lark then I had a 1964 Daytona which I put a Chevy 350 cu.in. engine in. About 15 years ago I decided that I would build a car or at least rebuild a car. I started with a numbers matching 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 340 Six Pack car and did a ground up restoration on it twice. It is from Fla. and has been quite the challenge to make it the way I would build them if I were the factory. The second one is a 1970 AMC - AMX (BBO) Big Bad Orange, Shadow mask car 390 cu.in. Engine. The AMX came from Georgia. It was one of the harder projects as AMC only produced 4200 of these cars and in the Big Bad series there were only a few hundred total. We have been to the National meet in Kenosha, Wisconsin and the car has been awarded Gold & Platinum twice. The last car I am working on is a 1964 Dodge Polara which began its life in Ca. and spent its entire life in Bakersfield. This one will have a 500 cu.in. Big block Stroker motor and 650 plus horsepower and will be just for fun as in Flash light Drags? It will be the last of the projects for a while as I will now start to enjoy them as life is short and it is time to enjoy what I have worked hard for. I belong to the car club 'THE RODFATHERS OF BUTLER' we put on the Cruise-A-Palooza in down town Butler each year. 'If you ain't their your square' If you have not been to one of our advents please come next year it is a blast!! !! When you come you will find Lots of old cars, lots of rock and roll and lots of fun for all. As they say 'for kids of all ages'! See our web sight for information just Google search 'THE RODFATHERS OF BUTLER' and check us out. This sight will not let me post the link. If you ever have the opportunity you have to go to the Woodward Dream Cruise. It is held in Detroit Michigan ever August on the third Saturday. The event spans Woodward Ave from Pontiac through Ferndale in Oakland County Michigan. I have been their and it is like going to heaven. I was born in the wrong city these people love their cars and it shows. If I come back a second time let it be their. Google search the Woodward Dream Cruise and check it out. Today I am still in the electronics business and enjoy what I do. It keeps me busy and lets me enjoy the things I am lucky enough to have. I never thought I would do the things that I have through the years but It has been quite the experience and their is not much that I would change. The down side to all of this is I lost my dad to a Dunk driver in 1983 and my mom to Parkinson Disease in 1994; I would trade it all to be able to change what happened to them. I guess my live has been filled with a mix of the good and bad. How one copes with it all is like the quotation that if " live gives you lemons then you have to make lemon aid" it is easy to say but it is harder to live. Life is for the living and we have to make the best of what is given to us. Life is a challenge and to quote Powel Crosley Jr. "Good will is like a good name won by many acts and lost by only one" I try to live his motto. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Dixon as a customer and have had the pleasure to be able to talk with him about life, met his wonderful wife and have been to their home he is quite the man. Well we will see were the next 60 years take me and what I will be doing at age 100. Stay tuned for the next installment when I get their! Always remember the world needs: "Faster Cars, Younger Women & Bigger Alligator's" Till then I hope your lives have been good also and all of you...(read more) |
Class of 1966 Alumni and Other Nearby Classes
→ Reunite with 22 class of 1966 alumni that have joined.
Ashley Farrell
Class of 2005
Matthew Mayberry
Class of 2002
Chris Katella
Class of 2006
Travis Gross
Class of 2000
Will Smith
Class of 1999
Samantha Manley
Class of 1988
Mike Thompson
Class of 1996
Anthony Dangelo
Class of 2010
Joann Demarco
Class of 1975
Thomas Donaldson
Class of 1970
Neva Ruby
Class of 1972
Todd Eury
Class of 1991
Amy Knoechel
Class of 1989
George Mcgahan
Class of 1982
Jon Wester
Class of 1995
Deb Nist
Class of 1983
Holly Koegler
Class of 1989
Haley Helbling
Class of 2005
Recent Class of 1966 Reunions
Plan a Class of 1966 Reunion for Free
45th Class Reunion
Invited Classes: 1966
Date: Oct 14, 2011
Description: We will be at the Waterhole, Hartman's Golf Course on both Friday and Saturday nights. Total cost for both nights is $2...(read more)
45th Class Reunion
Invited Classes: 1966
Description: Save the date---October 14 and 15, 2011. Details to follow.