"Torque" Johnson

Union-Endicott High School. It has looked like this for
around a hundred years. So yes, even when I was there. 

One thing that has always fascinated me is how, as children, we are influenced by the people around us. I do believe that a significant portion of what we are is nature, but perhaps a larger portion is nurture. In my last blog,  I wrote about how my grandfather was a big influence in my life. My parents and other relatives were huge influences as well, but then there are others that only nudge you in a direction, and like any other course correction, it may seem minor at the time, but end up being huge later in life. These nudges are often given by peripheral people in your life, like the next tier of relatives, friends, and of course teachers.

High school for me was, I think different, then it is for many. I had a close but small circle of friends that were from all the different cliques. That worked out well, being on the periphery of the groups, but not committed to any one. My teachers, like my friends, were varied in personality and I really liked almost of of them. One that stood out for me, and a couple of my friends, was Mr. Johnson, our physics teacher. He was a new teacher back then, not all that far removed from school himself, and he seemed to connect well with the kids. The thing that I liked about him, was his humor and easy going manner. He played a great practical joke on us one day in lab when he pointed a laser at the lab table from another room. We had never seen one before (this was 1977) , and suddenly this moving, glowing spot was on our table. It must have been priceless watching our speechless amazement and excitement. He later told us the results of other times he had pulled this prank on people, and all the other hilarious reactions. He made me feel special by including us in his circle of people he trusted enough to prank.

"Torque" Johnson and a blogger.

Another time in class he was teaching us about rotational force, or "torque". During the class he naturally said "torque" many times and that kind of stuck with us. My best friend, Mike Hidock, named  him Torque Johnson at the end of the class and he really seemed to enjoy that. Anyway, through his friendly and gentle guidance, I ended up with a final grade in the high 90's for that class, and I give full credit to Torque Johnson for that. He was so approachable, so easy going and so enjoyed the students around him he just made me feel like I wanted to be there. Never intimidating, always helpful in a class that could be quite difficult. I give him full credit for advancing my interest in science, and giving me a firm foundation for my career in meteorology, a field that is based in physics and math.

I found out that Torque Johnson is retiring this year, after at least 40 years of teaching and positively influencing high school students. It could not have been easy, especially in the later years with kids that are less easily impressed with lasers, or perhaps even physics, Still, he must have helped thousands of young minds over the years and he and Union-Endicott High School should be proud. I wish him the best, and a happy and relaxing retirement. He deserves it.

Grandfather was a carpenter

Sorry. The Crown molding again. I'm really happy
with how it came out. 

My paternal grandfather was a carpenter. Not any carpenter but a master carpenter, that built houses in the 1920s and 1930s in and around Red Bank, NJ. In fact, he built the house he lived in for over 70 years, and it was magnificent. I think about him now and then, especially lately as I work on our fixer upper, and I think he would be amused yet proud. He particularly would like the crown molding I've installed. He was a tender and quiet man that I would expect would give me gentle guidance and advice. I'd like to think I've inherited a bit of carpentry skill from him, and hope that skill manifests itself someday.

Grandfather Morford was a true gentleman. He treated those around him with kindness and respect, and took special care with women. He was quick to take the arm of his wife or pull out a chair for her, or any other woman in his vicinity. One of our fondest memories of him is from our wedding. Cindy had wanted a horse and carriage for our wedding, and as we left the church, one was waiting for her. When she went to climb into the buggy in her wedding dress, grandfather bolted from the crowd to help me help her in. He wisely didn't trust my knowledge of horses and carriages.

He came by his knowledge of horses honestly. He was from the time before automobiles were common. As a teenager, he drove a horse and wagon, picking up all the children to bring them to the one room school house. Also, when an alarm came in at the volunteer fire department, he would race to the station to rig up the horses for the fireman. He told me how the horses knew from hearing the bell that there was and alarm and would be waiting for him, ready to go. What a great story.

My first NWS job was in this historic building, the
Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia. 

Both grandmother and grandfather loved that I had also become a volunteer fireman and I think felt like grandfather had been an influence in that. I think they were right. They also loved that I became a meteorologist. They told me a story how one of my great uncles was somehow involved in weather and I must have gotten the "weather bug" from him. When I got my first job in the National Weather Service at LaGuardia Airport in 1986 they were very proud. I would occasionally take the 2 hour drive down from Queens to Red Bank to visit them.

For some reason, he was always "grandfather", never grandpa or pop. The formality certainly fit him as he was always well dressed, never in jeans or even a golf or tee shirt. Always slacks and a dress shirt, often a sweater or even sport coat. The shirt was always buttoned to the top, and fastened with a Bolo tie. To this day, he is the only person I've ever known to wear a Bolo tie.

He was also a Master Mason and active in his Masonic Hall. I always knew this, but knew little about it. I know he wore his Masonic ring, but never really talked about it. Now that Masons are the subject of conspiracy theories, and featured in the huge best seller The Da Vinci Code, I would love to ask him about it. I have no idea what he would of said, probably not much, but it would be interesting to know his take on it. As far as I know, he never tried to recruit dad, or any of us to join. I wish I knew why.

Grandfather escaped the horrors of war. Being born in 1900, he was a bit too young when WWI broke out, and a bit too old for WWII. He would have served if asked of course, but I'm glad he missed out. Selfish of me, I know, but he was no warrior, and had he survived, I would be afraid that kind and gentle man would have been forever changed by the experience. During my entire memory of him, he was the manager of an enormous cemetery, literally just steps from his backdoor. Why he dropped carpentry, and took this job is unknown to me. Maybe the lack of carpentry work during WWII. In any event, the cemetery manager was a perfect job for him, sympathetic and gracious as he was. He worked that job well into his 80's, 6 days a week.

He remained active almost up to his death in his mid 90's. We heard that he was up and the second floor roof of his garage replacing shingles as he approached 90. Grandmother was not pleased, and dad was concerned, but of course he was fine and fixed his roof without injury. Not only had we underestimated his health, we somehow forgot how careful and smart he was. He did nothing in haste and without careful planning.

In 1989 grandmother and grandfather drove from New Jersey to Cortland, NY to stay with Cindy and I. They announced that this was their last trip away from home and wanted to visit everyone they could. Of course they were wonderful guests, insisting on taking us out to dinner one night, then grandmother helped Cindy prepare a whole turkey the second night. Right around dinner, a fire call came in and they insisted that I go, that there was no reason for me to keep them company. Cindy I think, felt differently.  After a couple days they returned to New Jersey and, true to their word, never left again.

I feel lucky and honored to have known such a good man. A man that had so much knowledge and experience, of gentle kindness and wisdom. He had a lot more to teach than just carpentry, and I'd like to think some of it rubbed off on me, in the 30 plus years that I knew him.