This note should outline what I can recall having been up to since our 45th. Thank you for the request for sometimes I need to review what all has transpired. I certainly know that 1 have been busier than ever. I can't slow down for I must live another 30 years to beat my father's longevity record of 101. His father died at 99 and his grandfather at 97, so the genes are there!
Over a 5-year period I sold, back to my former employees, my Cleveland business, which I founded in '64. With the sale of this company, I built a new, beautiful home on Sanibel Island in Florida where we spend about four months during the winter. My activities include walking, bicycle-riding, swimming, boating, reading and relaxing.
I am still Chairman of the Board of the Sea Research Foundation- it's been about 20 years now. One of its divisions is the Mystic Marine life Aquarium. This presently keeps me exceedingly busy for we are attempting to raise $15 million in order to receive $30 million from the State of Connecticut.
My wife, Cara, and I still own and operate the R lazy S dude ranch in Jackson Hole. This keeps us out of trouble for there's little time to do much else during our season. We have become Wyoming residents as we are out here about 6 months of the year. With about 45 new guests every week, we have a lot of friends all over this Continent and Europe- it's very stimulating and we love it! We do lots of horseback riding (6 to 8 hours a week) and walking. I also am on the Board of a small non-profit, the Jackson Hole Alliance for Responsible Planning, which is attempting to keep the 3% of the valley that is privately held from out of control development. Seems as though Jackson Hole is the place to build now. Million dollar plus homes for 4 or 5 weeks occupancy!?
If one wonders where we spend the rest of the year, it's 2 trips to Cleveland- 'nut said. When my father died I found box after box of letters from our relatives in Germany. All were primarily concerned with genealogical records of the Stirn family. No one for over 50 years had bothered to put them in any order, until foolish me decided to undertake the job. After 5 years, and I am not through yet, using a computer program, I have now compiled all back to the late 1300's. There is still more to do before I complete the written history. It will then be published for any family member who wishes it. Of course, then there's my mother's side of the family! Trying to translate the many 19th Century letters in the old, classical German (banned by Hitler) was Interesting. I had two or three years of military German prior to Williams V-12, but this turned out to be of little help. Luckily we have close friends from Germany at our ranch each year who can still read it and have been of tremendous assistance.
In addition, have been collecting antique pieces of art made from agate (boxes, bowls, coupes, seals, etc.). Also I collect antique Pallisyware (decorative plates made mostly In France and Portugal in the 19th Century).
In my spare time I am still taking nature photographs, putting on occasional one-man shows, or with my wife, a nationally recognized watercolorist.
And finally, and most importantly, I am happily married to a wonderful wife, Cara,
(47th anniversary coming up), have four outstanding, productive children (living In Woodside, CA; Groton, CT; Cleveland, OH; and Jackson Hole), and 7 grandchildren (with the oldest just having been accepted at Syracuse University in their 5-year architectural program). We are healthy, active, and still can't seem to find the needed time to do some of the other, many things in which we are interested. I dally count my blessings for being so fortunate to live the life that we have chosen and worked for all of these years.