School Years
Robert attended Chaminade high school in Hollywood Florida and then the University of Miami and the University of Florida. Robert graduated with bachelor’s degrees in biology (pre-med), history, and computer science, and a master’s degree in history (1975 to 1983).
Biography
Robert was very involved in collector’s and film festivals during his school years – and for the first years after his marriage to Bonnie in 1977. He was a sponsor of some of the first “Star Trek” conventions in the country and went on to open a store based on the collectibles market – “The Time Machine” from 1980-82. He lived in Gainesville Florida until 1984, and during those years also worked as a Woolco department store assistant manager and substitute high school teacher. His degree in computer science led to a position with Texas Instruments in Dallas Texas in 1984, as a software engineer/technical writer. This started a new phase in his life working for government defense contractors in various computer-oriented positions.
Robert and Bonnie both worked for Texas Instruments for about three years, Bonnie as a Manufacturing technician. Robert left as a senior software engineer to work for Magnavox Electronics Systems in northern Virginia (another defense contractor) now as a manager of software documentation and testing, and eventually as the manager of software quality assurance and configuration control in 1990. After spending several years in Virginia, he moved to Fort Wayne Indiana, the home site of the company, to take over a similar position for the corporate home site. Bonnie also worked for Magnavox during those years, eventually as a Manufacturing Project Engineer. Robert accepted a test manager position at Northrop Grumman in the Chicago area in 1996, and soon became the software quality assurance manager – this time for Northrop.
In 1999 Robert started once again on a new phase of his career, and began teaching nights at a local college, Columbia College. He has been able to teach upper level courses in areas that interest him the most, as well as subjects in software development. Robert would lead his college site (they have locations across the country) in the fields of European and Latin American history. He also taught the History of Science and created online courses for the college in Historical Methods and Historiography.
Robert’s hobbies, with what time he has for them, include coin collecting (especially ancient coins – as you might guess), and collecting movie memorabilia. This last has been on-going since well before the “Time Machine” days. He still goes to film conventions every year buying and selling “Katherine Hepburn” autographs or “Ben Hur” posters. If you ever get to see the movie “Joshua” – filmed in 2002 – keep an eye out for Robert in one short scene in church – he was an extra in the movie filmed where he lives in Illinois!
As an autograph collector/dealer – this developed most significantly back in 1990 when he was offered for purchase a collection of “Big Band” autographs. This has become a passion and an ongoing learning experience ever since. As an educator he understands that one never stops learning. To quote Socrates “he is wise only if he realizes there is much he does not know.” There is no one who “knows everything” and if he makes that claim beware - especially if you are looking to have an autograph authenticated. Robert has been building a reference library for close to 20 years and although he feels he is pretty knowledgeable – he resists being called an “expert” – and is wary of all those claiming to be “experts” in the field. We are all at best gifted amateurs – some better than others. What we have to strive for is honesty, an educated opinion, and the willingness to back up all claims we make with a lifetime guarantee. This is what he does under his “StarMemories” banner.
For an article Rob wrote concerning his family (appeared in a new Jersey newspaper a few years ago) – Click here:
For photos of Rob at conventions with many of the stars whose autographs he carries click here:
For more convention images and stars who have signed for us click here:
Remember not to forget what we have at the Volo Antique mall -click here:
http://voloshopping.com/700_star_memories.htm
