This is me, Willy. I'm a rocket scientist in Huntsville, Alabama. I've worked at NASA but now work at the Army's Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal. I'm at the big main Research, Development and Engineering Center, building 5400, where I help the Army develop missiles. I have a BS in electrical engineering (dual options in electronics and computers) from the University of Florida, an MS in engineering (in control systems, with honors) from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and am missing my dissertation in my inactive progress towards the PhD. For my resume, Click Here.

This is my son Carl at the marina in Guntersville in the Summer of 1997 right before he and his sister went sailing on the Snark dingy. He's a big, tall, handsome fellow with much promise... if he'd get over his rebellion, and not allow his hormones to drive him. I think that I need to give him time and he'll get over it. I have done all the seeding or programming I could do with him. I pray that somebody else will now help him out, just like I have helped out some other person's kids.

Son Carl looked good in his work attire. He seemed to like what he did, so was very good at it. His managers praised him on his responsible behavior, and he is himself a manager now, but at Hardee's. McDonald's is a teamwork organization, and has good procedures to handle just about everything. I can see why it has been so successful.

And daughter Jennifer, also right before sailing. Jen was always a lot more mature both physically and mentally than the average girl. She is aware, assertive, communicates well, and has a good head on her shoulders. Is fearless too. She's off to college now studying psychology... which is about the most useful thing she could study to help the whole family out! Jen has turned out rather well.

Jennifer and Emma her roommate in college, Summer 1998, during a visit by dad. Jen and Emma both like to study rather than party, which is a very worthwhile endeavor. Emma's dad, like me, is also a technical type... but he hangs out at The Cape in Florida, instead.

Carl and Jennifer on the Snark dingy at Browns Creek Marina in Guntersville during the July 4th weekend in 1997, Carl is almost too tall for the dingy, which is an 11-foot long, 4-foot wide foam coffee cup. Easy to sail, a lot of fun, and much less fuss than taking out the Hobie.

Alberto was my father's cousin. He used to visit us and bring us something from the bakery every week. He taught me how to drive a manual shift on his '42 Chevy pickup truck and how to take apart a Volkswagen Beetle's flat four. He still drives a pickup, although has switched to a Ford. Him and his wife Delia live in Miami and have a very strong son who is in the horse business in South Florida, and a terrific looking daughter and ambitious in the hotel trade in the Los Angeles area.

This is my cousin Carlos Valentin in a relaxed mood expressing his opinion about something. He was always so serious and responsable! Carlos Valentin takes care of my mother by going to visit her almost daily, helping her with shopping, and such things... behaves like a good son to her... I call him a Saint... Saint Carlos. He lives in the Miami area also.

Carolina is Carlos Valentin's wife, and an integral part of his life as far back as I can remember... I think they've been married for a couple of hundred years now. That's my mother in the picture hamming it up with Carolina. Carlos Valentin and Carolina have 3 boys: Charlie, Caesar, and Andy.

And this is cousin Carolina's mother, Isabel, and me horsing around a big. All these pictures above were taken at Thanksgiving of 1997, I think. Isabel died in Spring 1999 while living with Carolina and Carlos Valentin. What intrigued me about Isabel was how she could use her hands to talk... even while driving... BOTH hands... and still not crash.

Uncle Pancho was good to me ("el Tito," the family calls me) when I was growing up in Miami. Pancho often came to visit gramma, who lived with us. Several times a week he dropped by with a loaf of bread. I had a lot of interaction with tio Pancho, which I much appreciated. Tio Pancho had a tough time then. Working in aluminum window factories wore him out and now has knee problems. He is awfully skinny, but good ol' Aunt Mela (tia Melita) has always taken good care of him. Tia Melita is a good communicator... knows just the right thing to say. She was a hard worker too. They are in the Miami area.

This is cousin Maria Elena, Tio Pancho's only daughter, and cousin Manuel her husband, next to tio Pancho at their mini-farm at The Redlands, right outside Miami. Maria Elena was my "big sister" I never had and taught me how to drive in her Corvair. She teaches school and has a degree in languages. Victor is a computer jock with a large financial/insurance company. They have a daughter, Christina, who has been in the horse boarding and show business and a very tall son, Victor, who I think is in the insurance trade. Their daughter looks exactly like Maria Elena did when young... It's uncanny.

El Doctor Arango, back in '67. Roger was a pediatrician, a neighbor, and a father surrogate. He taught me how to fish, how to cuss, and how to take apart an Evinrude. He also showed me an example of how to stick by your wife (he called her The Sargent). His son Jimmy taught me how to throw a football. Roger died of a heart attack when I was 18, and I sure did miss him. Dr. Jimmy lives in Salt Lake City, and brother Roger Jr. lives in Oregon.

This is my maternal grammother ("abuela"), circa 1974, at age 92 or so, taken in Orlando, shortly before she died from complications due to a broken hip operation. She lived with us, did all the housework and cooking, and prayed an awful lot. I always figured that I grew up OK because of her prayers.

This is mom and dad, back in '77. I did not see or hear from dad from age 10 untill age 21. He was a GP doctor who stayed in Cuba and sent the family to Miami when Fidel took over. And growing up poor and with 3 women (mom, sis and gramma) was difficult for this boy. Mom did what she could, for what she was. I busted my butt, working hard from age 11, and studying harder to get outta there. Dad got to Miami in '71 during my senior year in college, and died in December '87 of a stroke (he did not take care of himself). Sis (not pictured) lives in Louisiana with her husband Jim and her daughter Kyrsten (see genealogy ).

What I nowadays do when I'm not working... This is me doing the practice first lift November of 96 at a bench press contest. Later did a single rep at 265 as an over-45 Masters in the 200-lb weight class. I've gotten muscles in my old age! It was fun going to my High School class reunion and threatening the bully who used to beat me up at PE.

Best friend Jim and I after flying on a Cesna 152 out of Redstone Airfield Summer of 1998 on a windy day. That little overloaded plane bounced around all over the sky! We've been friends for many, many years... working together at the missile command. Jim has a PhD in physics. I'm holding the camera at arm's length.

My buddy and workout partner Dallas has all the girls after him! Don't know if it's because of the gap he's got between his two front teeth. I've known Dallas since 1992 at the local Gold's gym. Dallas now co-owns the local Powerhouse in Madison, in the Huntsville area.

Cousin Caloli is a lot of fun. She is always peppy and has a sunny disposition. She also talks a mile a minute. Caloli was a mother to all us cousins... She would write letters and send us pictures and keep us tied together as we grew and went off to college. We call her "la enana" or The Dwarf, because she is vertically challenged, even for a gal. Now she is busy with her kids and a passel of grankids.

Cousin Javier is a stockbroker and financial advisor, and has done very well for himself and for others. He is VERY Cuban, stays in the culture, and can't wait to go back after Fidel is toppled. He also likes his weekend farming and horses, his guns, and his gadgets. He is now mostly at his Austin office, but is also often at the New Orleans home office. Javier is a neat guy!

Cousin Janet is Javier's wife and also a financial type, specializing in mutual funds. She has a lot of patience with Javier. Has done a great job of raising him as well as kids Jay (Javier Jr.) and Alicia. She prefers her comfortable home to the weekend mini-farm and its demands.

Jay, Javier Jr., or Pancho is Javier and Janet's son. Jay is interested in computers and rockets and good stuff like that. He is on the web with AOL all of the time, enjoys playing computer games, e-mails often, and really enjoys his computer. He might be another technical type working on rockets or missiles like me.

Daughter Jen and Javier & Janet's daughter Alicia in Summer 1998. This might have been the night everybody went to see the latin version of the Spice Girls... which was a farce, because some strange girls showed up. Alicia is now off to college also, and has grow up nicely. She's a lot like Janet in her likes and dislikes.

Tia Nena (aunt Nena) and Jen in New Orleans during the trip there in Summer 1998. Tia Nena is getting on in years, and stays at her new San Antonio apartment mostly. She used to do a lot of sewing and tailoring... and was a very good seamstress. Tia Nena is Javier's and Caloli's mother and my aunt.

Cousin Jose Antonio ("Joe" now but "el Cuqui" to the family) is an electrical engineer (like me), and is into communications, like radios and stuff like that. He also lived aboard a 65' sailboat for 4 years... but missed Walmart, and is now on land in San Diego. He's Javier's and Caloli's brother, and tia Nena's son. Wife Paula in the picture had a broken arm at the time. The picture was taken about '95.

Uncle colacho (tioco) is the oldest uncle, the wisest, the skinniest, and the best preserved. He did not have to bust his gut working at factories like tio Pancho. Tioco takes good care of himself by daily walking. But it is Aunt Mercedes' constant attention that keeps him going and that keeps him young. He's in the Miami area.

This is Nick (or Nicky when we were young), Tioco's only son, with wife Tina and son David. At the time, we were having lunch at a Cuban restaurant named Coco Loco. When the owner of the place was planning on it, his friends said "Tienes (you have) el coco (head) loco (crazy)!" Nick has a degree in architecture and an MBA, both from Georgia Tech. They do not live in Miami!

Uncle Benito was visiting my cousin Caloli right after she had her home rebuilt after hurricane Andrew took it all away. He was actually spraying for roaches at the time. He is a chemical engineer, and in his youth ran the family business... a distillery and its associated business, inherited from grampa. He's Carlos Valentin's dad. Lives in the Miami area.

Cousin Aurora Maria and her grandson were home when I visited this time. I had not seen her in many years. She is Tio Benito's daughter, and is married to cousin Alex (not pictured), who has a pest spray business. And in South Florida this is a good business to be in!

Other family will go here as soon as I can get to it.