Yes, there be dragons! At his front door, pictured on his walls, perched around his home, along with the collections and artifacts which reveal the multifaceted interests of Tom Simondi. You may know him as the man who wears red suspenders, the unique ones that attach on the sides of his slacks, so there’s no center back clasp to scratch the furniture. That’s just one example of his distinctive and thoughtful creativity.
Another of Tom's identifying "trade marks" is his ever-present camera. When this year’s ducklings appeared, several residents called to alert him. But hours earlier, on a walk with camera in hand, Tom had already encountered the proud mama with her youngsters and their arrival was photographically recorded. These are the pictures displayed in the reception area for residents' and guests' enjoyment.
That camera, with Tom behind it, has become a UVTO mainstay. Life here is chronicled regularly, as Tom snaps the action at activities and events. Working with the Activities Director, he also creates most of the Activities flyers which are available in the mail room and displayed throughout the Clubhouse. He works with a small group who are primarily responsible for the current Portal website improvements. And, those who had lost confidence in the formerly out-of-date electronic bulletin board near the dining room desk have recently been delighted to find current information – again, thanks in part to the efforts of this resident who gives so generously of his time.
But dragons, suspenders, photography and flyers give little hint of Tom's life experiences and expertise. He is a native Californian, born and raised in Los Angeles, and a graduate of Loyola High School, where he sponsors two scholarships. The University of Arizona, Tucson, is his alma mater with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He summarizes the areas of his professional training and 20-year military career this way: "Schools, electronic testing, weapons testing, medical research, teaching at the Air Force Academy, laser and space communications and space shuttle integration." When he became an instructor at the Air Force Academy, he bought a volume on physiology and managed to stay a little bit ahead of the class the first semester. Four years later he was course director and edited their new textbook!
Hints at his accomplishments are these snippets from his Village View interview: doing medical research for the Manned Orbiting Lab (a proposed AF space station); learning about other branches of the armed services for joint operations; helping NASA to build a space shuttle that would hold Air Force payloads; and, as Air Force Deputy Director of Advanced Space Communications, trying to make laser and radio communications devices smaller and more powerful.
"On the side," Tom's endeavors included two MBA degrees and self-directed study of microcomputers. This led to teaching in the Chapman College (extension) MBA program and El Camino College, where he started their microcomputer classes. He has written professional newsletters, supplemented by his life-long passion for photography, and he now has four websites – cknow.com (computer knowledge); tomsdomain.com (personal bio, trips, pictures); missiontour.org (a compendium of the California missions and related structures) and a fourth site which is primarily for experimentation.
We're sorry, Tom, that your mother was never able to live in Gardenview with you, as planned before her passing. But our life here is enriched because you are at UVTO as a most Noteworthy Neighbor.