When my tour of duty with the Air Force ended in March 1975 my parents urged me to go to graduate school, but I refused. Then in April 1976 a relationship with an Irish born young lady ended, as she went back to Ireland. Now I had time on my hands and decided to give graduate school a try. After meeting with a few advisors, I decided to start school in the July 1976 summer session. When I arrived at the classroom in St. Augustine Hall on July 12, 1976 I noticed that there were only 4 women in the class, and one of them sat in the front of the class away from the other three. I sat in the back of the room to keep a low profile. Later in the class the professor, Doctor Raymond McGowan, asked each of the four women why they were in the CBA graduate school. He asked Miss B, and it turns out that she was a former music teacher and that there were no jobs in that field. Anyway, I was still "pining" over the Irish lady, and Ellen's Irish surname and the fact that she was a music teacher and musician made me notice her, as I played guitar and loved music. On several occasions Dr. McGowan split the class into groups and I managed to get into Ellen's group. Unfortunately another classmate who sat next to her also was in the group. He started to walk her to her car after class, and I decided to not pursue it right now. After all, only 5 years earlier I was put in a bad spot at St. John's when I was hung up on a sorority girl. I did not want history to repeat iself.
In September 1976 I returned to SJU and Ellen was in another core class with me. This time I sat near her and began to talk to her. It looked like success this time until the professor, Doctor Cusack, came in said that the class had to be split since it was too large. I went into a newly opened class, while Ellen stayed put. It looks as if it was not meant to be, at least in 1976.
Over the next 2 years each of us had other relationships and did see each other on campus. Then on October 13, 1978 my intuition told me to go to the Alumni Singles dance that night, which I did. I volunteered to tend bar, and during course of the evening two friends of a woman I recently dated came by to say hello to me. Ellen came in alone and eventually sat at the table of the two ladies. It looks as if fate smiled on me, for during a break from behind the bar I sat down at the table to say hello to the two ladies that I knew, and somehow we began to talk about London. As it turns out, Ellen's sister lived in London (and still does) and mentioned that to us. I then started to talk to Ellen about London and we decided to have a few dances together. I mentioned that I remembered her from Doctor McGowan's class. Later I walked her to her car and asked if I could see her soon. She said yeas and the next night we had our first date: Sonny's Jazz Club in Seaford NY (which has since closed).
We were married on November 24, 1979 at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre NY and our daughter Eileen was born on March 19, 1990.
Epilogue: On Valentine's Day 2009, Ellen, Eileen and I went to St. John's University for a service at the new St. Thomas More church on campus, and a renewal of our marriage vows. The University had invited those couples for whom played St. John's played a part in their meeting. There was a lso a little reception, as well as getting our picture taken.
