* * *
Free As A Bird
--Part 2 of 2--
(1992-2008)
What can be said about Anna Tomiak and her family? I'd met Anna at Prime Computer the day I started there in March 1986. She would be one of the few people there truly interested in this 'newbie'.
(Photo by Mychajlo Myroniuk)
I was about to begin to teach my first class ever and I'd formed an idea in my head about how I would do it, yet I'd not really seen the technique often enough and was insecure and worried I might fail with my approach. I hadn't the background which I could use to support my ideas.
Being familiar with the more commonly used clinical approach to the classroom environment I believe that the key to teaching is in knowing how to make your subject matter interesting to the student. No matter how foreign it is, find something the student can relate to and expand upon it.
If only I could see someone doing that, I thought at the time, then I'd know I was on the right track.
(Anna is shown here at my Uncle Bill's home on Beleville Lake in Michigan.)
She is the one that really got me started on PDGS. She invited me into her classroom to get the feel of the environment she created. Then I saw that she was doing it! Her method of teaching was exactly the kind of thing I had in mind although I have to make note that she is the Master.
Her way of keeping the attention of her students is unbeatable. She can tell stories that gets the imagination going in such a way which stimulates the brain to soak up any knowledge she passes along. Just Fantastic.
I now had the tools I needed to do my classroom justice!
I eventually got to know her whole family. She was very helpful to me in making Murilo Moretti feel welcome during his stay in Michigan. He still asks about her. We did a few things together and she came along with him over to my parents home for dinner.
There were countless times when a simple word from her lifted me up when I needed it. The way she has overcome adversity herself is really something to aspire to.
**********
By 1993 I would see more dreams come true in my 'career' at Ford.
One way of communicating with the user community the latest enhancements and changes to PDGS was to accompany each software release with a video tape. This usually was simply a tape of someone's hand in front of the PDGS screen pointing out these changes on the light-pen. For the most part that was sufficient but positively boring.
Updated August 31, 2013
Admittedly it was tough to make a training video exciting, but we tried. It started with myself doing introductions to each video inside an actual studio. Then we'd get more creative and take the camera to our Help Desk showing the people behind the phones, or we'd begin by highlighting the latest workstation hardware available which PDGS could run on. Sometimes we'd go outside and tape a segment, anything to try and keep the viewer interested.
Updated August 31, 2013
Updated August 31, 2013
Getting to know the people I worked with in the studio, I found extra work in other video projects at Ford Motor Company doing voiceovers, for example. My favorite video was when I played mechanic "Gary" over at the then Dearborn Proving Ground explaining the reasons why moving from manufacturing tractors to engines was a good thing. This was for a video presentation designed to promote enthusiasm for workers at the Romeo Engine Plant (Romeo, MI) which were going through these changes.
Updated August 31, 2013
Producer: Kim Bryant
Director: Dick Borowski
Narration: John Stoskopf
Editor: Tom Gawenda]
Updated October 11, 2013
For this session:
Producer: Kim Bryant
Director: Tom Gawenda
Behind Denise Crowley-Sieb are Jane Reed (who passed away in July 2007); Suha Altug; Jerrie Sherbenou; David Alexander & Dennis Kirchoff.
By a happy cooincidence, I knew Reid when he was a little kid back in the neigborhood of our elementary school. He used to visit his grandmother who lived there. I even think he was on my baseball team at one time.
John Jamulla and he was a system administrator.
It was essential that we in the training department worked closely with Frank's group testing code his developers wrote for PDGS enhancements.
Someone caught a photo of me at the workstation.
Lou was one of the first 'big' players I worked with at Ford Motor being a leader over the Body Design group. If there were problems, especially in translation of CAD data I'd walk over on foot to his department, get the tape and work on it until we got data from it he could use (if at all possible).
While I might have been slightly intimidated by him in the beginning, I not only came to feel very close to him in the years that followed but it was he that called my home to check up on how I was doing after being finally let go from Ford. This was quite some time after he had left Ford himself yet he still thought enough of me to call.
What a great man with a heart of Gold!
George was so close to the development of PDGS he was nicknamed its 'father'. Many thanks to him for hiring me to work directly with Ford and thinking so highly of me. He was well respected by many.
There was a lot of that, in fact, you could consider myself the same except I was based at Ford and for the most part never saw my 'home' office.
I first met Jerry when I was on-loan to Ford from Prime Computer in 1986. When I worked at Ford I shared a desk with him. There was a lot he did to help people survive their work day with his kind words.
When he left the CAD/CAM Department I remember thinking how great it would be to someday work on a project with him. Again it was a another dream I would get to realize and along with that eventually reach my pinnacle at Ford by doing so.
Updated March 12, 2013
We'd usually sponsor a group of kids for a day showing them our workplace and demonstrating what we do and showing what we've accomplished. This was something I remained involved with my entire time at Ford. Below you will find an example of a video taped session for the one event mentioned in the above memo.
Updated August 31, 2013
Updated August 31, 2013
Updated January 12, 2013
1993-95: While I'm at it, I want to take a peek at what my sister Shirley is doing at this time looking over one of her babies.
Mom sometime in the late 1990s
A note about Mom as well: Of course, she continued on after Dad's passing and I even re-discovered she had a life before Dad. We'd gone to the 50th wedding anniversary of her cousin Donald Ash & Bernice. There I saw a photo of Mom I'd never seen from their wedding and realized all this took place before she met Dad. It reminded me of her early years.
In the mid 90s more than once I didn't have anyone I could see Ringo Starr in concert with and Mom, a fan of the Beatles herself, would go with me. We even went to see Paul McCartney in concert for my (probably) one and only time. When Wayne couldn't make it into town we both dressed in black and saw Bruce Springsteen and his band together.
This photo was taken before we went on a trip to Rochester, NY. You may remember my life with "The Lost World" of 1925, that grandfather of all dinosaur films animated by the genius of Willis O'Brien, master of "King Kong".
Huge portions of "The Lost World" were cut from it not too long after its initial release and presumed lost. Then in Czechoslovakia an almost complete print was located and restored by George Eastman House! It would be years before we could see it on home video but in the late 90s they held a special screening and both Mom and I were there. Still to this day it is one of the best things I ever did.
If she could only have known, while she might be ironing clothes for example as I watched that movie countless times in our basement as a kid where it would eventually take us!
1994 - In the 90s I still sent Christmas Cards each year to Yoko Ono and a few other celebrities and on occasion even get a reply!
This came from Yoko sometime in 1994
1994 - I love the personalization.
The Spirit Foundation was something she and John Lennon created together and she was acknowleding a contribution I'd made.
1993 - Finally succumbing to acting strange in a photo booth during some off-time in Chicago during our convention.
The person behind me is Sam Saffi joining in the fun.
1995 was a big year! There were a lot of heavy changes going on and to get away from it all I took a trip to Florida for the first time since 1976, and for the first time ever being free to explore that great state.
Upon arrival we drove as much as we could to get to the Keys. It was a first time for me being there and I fell in love with it.
Immediately we found a ship to go sailing.
This was the first sunset of 1995
1995 - As New Years Day came to a close what a surprise we had! A couple was getting married on-board.
They certainly had all the ingredients for a romantic event they will surely never forget.
Neither will I ever forget. We even had music.
The next day we visited the home of Ernest Hemmingway
A view looking down from the home of Ernest Hemmingway
Through the lens in a lighthouse.
1995 - Dreaming
(Photo by Tim Panik)
Life in the Everglades.
I can only hope what is left of them will be preserved.
It was very good to have Tim Panik along with me. He was a great travel companion, loved the outdoors, and would continue to travel with me throughout the year.
As mentioned earlier there was more travel later in 1995.
When I learned that Forry Ackerman had a revived Famous Monsters of Filmland in circulation and that there was going to be another FM convention this time in Los Angeles, California there was no question in my mind about attending it.
1995 - Since I wasn't able to be at the original New York City conventions held in 1974 & 1975, I'd always felt I'd missed out.
This was a second chance I was not going to pass up and my adventures are documented in my "Forry Ackerman's Imagi-Nation" photo albums [to be published in this Blog into the new year of 2012].
1995 - Yet I hadn't shared what happened after the convention. When it was all over we continued our trip up the West Coast first arriving in Yosemite National Park.
This photo is a favorite of mine. It makes me think of the Garden of Eden.
Sequoia!
As with so many photos, after 16 years these are finally being shown for the first time as I imagined them back then. I always saw this one as a painting.
Focus your eyes on what you will, there is beauty all around us.
1995 - San Fransisco
A trip Dad always wanted to make was to return to the Golden Gate Bridge.
A Tribute ...
to the ...
Darkness
... of Humanity
1995 - When I'd returned to work after such a wonderful voyage there would still be a few more surprises to cherish back in that world.
Something as simple as this little home made recognition meant a lot. One of my bosses, Steve Schauder, put this together for the people who worked for him. Just the fact he took the time to do this himself is a treasure.
It was cool that he made me the runner!
1996 - Major change was again in the air and PDGS was finally and officially on its way to being replaced.
This is a nice little letter put together by Ford explaining the history of PDGS.
1997 - Yet the best was still to come during my stay at Ford.
My wish to work with Jerry Brooks on a project finally came true and I joined his team at the end of 1997.
(Jerry is shown here on the right with Darryl Gay on the left at our Christmas Party of '97)
The many roles of John Stoskopf
1996 - Speaking of Stoskopf, we got a note in the mail one day from a relative in France.
Apparently there had been a lot of research done with more interest being expressed about relations in the USA & Canada. Unfortunately I never responded and do feel I missed an opportunity.
Since the explosion of the internet after the time of this letter I'm constantly astonished at how many Stoskopfs I am finding out there in the world!
1998 - When I worked for Jerry Brooks at Ford Motor Company it was a major chance to show that it would be a successful teaming.
Having always considered Jerry a friend was something that made me only work the harder to come through for him and our team. It never crossed my mind to take advantage of the situation.
Added February 2017
2000 - We continued our program of introducing young students to the Computer Aided Design world of the Automotive Industry, something Jerry took a personal pride in doing.
1998 - In Jerry's group my first task was to work with people involved in the Mazda program and we exchanged much data with Japan.
Then we began to test connections between the supplier sites and Ford Motor Company. We created our own testing facility and worked with people all over the world.
In 2002 Jerry Brooks wrote a letter to my then contractor, Syntel Inc.
It was the best words anyone had ever written about me and marked the absolute top of my working career.
When Jerry retired from Ford Motor Company I spoke at his retirement party proudly holding up that letter confessing, "It doesn't get any better than this."
Jerry, by the way, is an accomplished singer and songwriter.
2003 - Even after Jerry retired we continued our youth education programs at Ford.
2003 - Proud teachers, John, Zach & Charlie.
2005 - I'd mentioned a while back that I was hired to work directly at Ford through a company created by retired PDGS man George Davidson.
When George left the business entirely, I had to find another contract agency to support me. I'd heard of Syntel but was astonished that even though I was throwing money on their desk with an already established position, they wanted to pay me less than I had been currently making!
We eventually worked it out and I was with them from 1995 until 2006. It was strange because, as would happen a lot at Ford, one's company they worked for might constantly be changing but not one's desk. Quite an odd way to maintain a job. For twenty years I would work directly for and at Ford Motor Company but never be recognized as a Ford employee.
May 2006 - Finally, 'the' letter informing me that the entire Syntel 'Job Order' at Ford was to come to an end and I would be released, "Free as a bird".
A good-bye to Ford and the many people I worked with through the years.
I believe this building behind these folks is now closed.
2008 - It is really something, the dynamics of life.
As time passes I am only the more closely touched by the few that remained along the journey.
Shown here is Wayne's dad and Wayne in 2008 on a return family visit to Michigan. (Wayne's dad recently turned 97 years young this May of 2011.)
(Photo by Patti Warner)
Note: August 2, 2012 I received a note from Patti that Mr. Lawrence Welkenback died that morning. He was 98
To share all of these experiences has helped to affirm the truly positive I have received from the Material World.
Yet, what has meant the most was that which was offered from those I love.
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
It is known that during my years the best dreams I ever had were for the most part not only met but surpassed.
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
I can also say the same for my nightmares.
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
I suppose that is what one would say is part of "a full life".
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
For no matter what, I will always have the music living on in my soul; my soundtrack of memories...
...and the ever-present True Love which overrides time and place reminding me:
I am not alone.
**********
I've got a soft place in my heart for you.
And the grief it's caused no one will ever know
I guess you know dear my love has always been true
Now there's nothing left to say or do but go...
(B. Montgomery - circa 1954-55)
"The door has closed behind you. You’re in the transition phase, suspended between the two trapezes. Slowly breathe in and breathe out and say: I release the lesser to receive the greater." - Unknown
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”— Kahlil Gibran
(Photo by Ron Rydzewski)
Yoko Ono - "Feel The Sand"
www.youtube.com (2010)
A note about Mom as well: Of course, she continued on after Dad's passing and I even re-discovered she had a life before Dad. We'd gone to the 50th wedding anniversary of her cousin Donald Ash & Bernice. There I saw a photo of Mom I'd never seen from their wedding and realized all this took place before she met Dad. It reminded me of her early years.
In the mid 90s more than once I didn't have anyone I could see Ringo Starr in concert with and Mom, a fan of the Beatles herself, would go with me. We even went to see Paul McCartney in concert for my (probably) one and only time. When Wayne couldn't make it into town we both dressed in black and saw Bruce Springsteen and his band together.
This photo was taken before we went on a trip to Rochester, NY. You may remember my life with "The Lost World" of 1925, that grandfather of all dinosaur films animated by the genius of Willis O'Brien, master of "King Kong".
Huge portions of "The Lost World" were cut from it not too long after its initial release and presumed lost. Then in Czechoslovakia an almost complete print was located and restored by George Eastman House! It would be years before we could see it on home video but in the late 90s they held a special screening and both Mom and I were there. Still to this day it is one of the best things I ever did.
If she could only have known, while she might be ironing clothes for example as I watched that movie countless times in our basement as a kid where it would eventually take us!
This came from Yoko sometime in 1994
The Spirit Foundation was something she and John Lennon created together and she was acknowleding a contribution I'd made.
The person behind me is Sam Saffi joining in the fun.
(Photo by Tim Panik)
I can only hope what is left of them will be preserved.
When I learned that Forry Ackerman had a revived Famous Monsters of Filmland in circulation and that there was going to be another FM convention this time in Los Angeles, California there was no question in my mind about attending it.
This was a second chance I was not going to pass up and my adventures are documented in my "Forry Ackerman's Imagi-Nation" photo albums [to be published in this Blog into the new year of 2012].
A trip Dad always wanted to make was to return to the Golden Gate Bridge.
 |
| Anger |
 |
| RAGE |
 |
| Death |
 |
| Darkness |
 |
| Desolation |
 |
| Light |
 |
| Energy |
 |
| Life |
 |
| Control |
 |
| Nurturing |
 |
| Love |
 |
| Free |
Something as simple as this little home made recognition meant a lot. One of my bosses, Steve Schauder, put this together for the people who worked for him. Just the fact he took the time to do this himself is a treasure.
It was cool that he made me the runner!
This is a nice little letter put together by Ford explaining the history of PDGS.
My wish to work with Jerry Brooks on a project finally came true and I joined his team at the end of 1997.
(Jerry is shown here on the right with Darryl Gay on the left at our Christmas Party of '97)
Since the explosion of the internet after the time of this letter I'm constantly astonished at how many Stoskopfs I am finding out there in the world!
Having always considered Jerry a friend was something that made me only work the harder to come through for him and our team. It never crossed my mind to take advantage of the situation.
Added February 2017
Still doing voice overs as late as 1998, this one for the Ford Motor Company 'spin-off' Visteon. It was a company-wide promotional video.
Then we began to test connections between the supplier sites and Ford Motor Company. We created our own testing facility and worked with people all over the world.
It was the best words anyone had ever written about me and marked the absolute top of my working career.
When Jerry retired from Ford Motor Company I spoke at his retirement party proudly holding up that letter confessing, "It doesn't get any better than this."
When George left the business entirely, I had to find another contract agency to support me. I'd heard of Syntel but was astonished that even though I was throwing money on their desk with an already established position, they wanted to pay me less than I had been currently making!
We eventually worked it out and I was with them from 1995 until 2006. It was strange because, as would happen a lot at Ford, one's company they worked for might constantly be changing but not one's desk. Quite an odd way to maintain a job. For twenty years I would work directly for and at Ford Motor Company but never be recognized as a Ford employee.
I believe this building behind these folks is now closed.
As time passes I am only the more closely touched by the few that remained along the journey.
Shown here is Wayne's dad and Wayne in 2008 on a return family visit to Michigan. (Wayne's dad recently turned 97 years young this May of 2011.)
(Photo by Patti Warner)
Note: August 2, 2012 I received a note from Patti that Mr. Lawrence Welkenback died that morning. He was 98
Yet, what has meant the most was that which was offered from those I love.
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
(Photo by Helen & Mike LaDeau)
**********
I've got a soft place in my heart for you.
And the grief it's caused no one will ever know
I guess you know dear my love has always been true
Now there's nothing left to say or do but go...
(B. Montgomery - circa 1954-55)
"The door has closed behind you. You’re in the transition phase, suspended between the two trapezes. Slowly breathe in and breathe out and say: I release the lesser to receive the greater." - Unknown
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”— Kahlil Gibran
(Photo by Ron Rydzewski)
Yoko Ono - "Feel The Sand"
www.youtube.com (2010)
The title "Free As A Bird" taken from The Beatles Anthology 1 Album (1995)
Original composition by John Lennon. Beatles version by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison & Ringo Starr.
"Last Good Time In Town" (Walsh-Souther)
Taken from a song on The Eagles LP - "Long Road Out of Eden" - 2007
Lately I've been stayin' at home
(Stayin' at home, stayin' at home)
Closin' the curtains, play jazz on trombone
(Jazz on trombone, jazz on trombone)
And I dream I'm on vacation
'Cause I like the way that sounds
It's a perfect occupation for me,
Yes it is
I don't mind being by myself
If you don't see me around
It's the last good time, last good time in town.
Originally published July 23-24, 2010 on my Facebook account
