Gene Klco
 I also help out at our church, St. John Church & Student Center & St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing. I have been doing Mass coordination on Fridays at noon and sometimes on Sunday's 8 am Mass. I also help take communion to a couple Medilodges (rehabilitation facilities) in the area. I am working on a second loon book, hoping to get that out next year. Otherwise, Gina & I are healthy and enjoying life - and trying to stay safe during this Covid 19 pandemic! Gene 2015 Update  |
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Well I'll answer the second part first - I've haven't gone far. We mostly go to the cottage in the summer - in northern Michigan on a small lake, Larks Lake, south west of Mackinaw City. Still taking pictures of loons & eagles. More on that in awhile. In the winter we mostly stay home and go to MSU games. This last February, we did go to Pensacola, Florida together - first time - for a week. As you can see from the photo, we have 3 dogs now. Charlie died and was replaced by Emma (the Golden). The two bassets (Baxter - next to me & Bessie) are both getting old - probably over 10. We're not sure since both are rescue dogs. Last year I enlarged our car port from one car to a two car garage. Hopefully, we are done with major jobs on this 'project' house. when I tore my meniscus golfing (I will never claim to be a great golfer). After a arthroscopic surgery on the meniscus in December, it was determined that my knee cap needed help too. So the partial. I'm near 100% now. |
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It's the story of a loon chick, "Lily", growing up in her first summer as told by the chick. It's a photo journal - all pages are full page photos. I've been selling a few myself and it's in many bookstores in the area and up north (also on Amazon). It's basically a children's book, but makes a good coffee table book for a cottage too. It gives a lot of loon info with some great photos (in my humble opinion). I won't make a million, but it's fun & I am "enjoying the ride".  |
Previous Bio Info
 (My Real Estate Photo) Would you buy a house from this man? |
Education: After graduation I attended General Motors
Institute (GMI) (now Kettering University) in Flint, MI. GMI
was a co-op program & I was sponsored by Oldsmobile in Lansing.
I worked toward a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering (BSME).
I married Kathleen L. Skowronek, a nursing student at Hurley Hospital in Flint in August 1969. We went to Purdue University as a young couple that fall where I eventually got my MS. Unfortunately for Purdue, I adopted MSU prior to going to PU - GMI didn't have a big football team & I managed to usher at games while at work session. I've been a big State fan ever since. (GO GREEN!) |
 Kathy Klco (1991) |
 The Morey's - Jim, Becky, Steve & Jeff at the lake (2008). They live in Fort Madison, IA. Becky teaches MS Science. |
Professional: Back in the Lansing area, I was a young engineer at Oldsmobile. After a few years, I switched to design, first in the Body group then in Chassis, where I spent most of my career. In 1979 I had a chance to learn CADAM, a computer-aided drafting program. I loved it! I led the group in it, even teaching it to others. Eventually, I became a design supervisor. In about 1996, GM started to move all of Product Engineering in Lansing to Warren at the GM Tech Center. I was promoted to Manager then of three design groups and helped with the transition. After 3 years of commuting daily (90 miles one way) to work, I decided to retire early after 31 years. |
 Gene with the Barr's - baby Liam, Amy, David and Serra (in front) (2006). They live in Niles, MI. Amy teaches HS English. |
 Indigo, baby Zayanna & Peter at the lake (2008). They live near Bellinghan, WA. Peter is a professional photographer. |
Personal: Kathy & I had 3 children, Rebecca,
Amy & Peter from 1970 - 1975. Then a fourth
child entered our life in 1987 - Brianna (we called her
Breezy). Having lived in homes in Holt, DeWitt, East Lansing
and Haslett (3 houses), we tended to move a lot. In 1992 just after Becky was married to Steve Morey in June, Kathy was diagnosed with lung cancer, even though she never smoked. After surgery, she developed pneumonia and died on August 20, 1992. Breezy was only 5. |
 Will Coburn & Brianna at Notre Dame, where they were seniors (2008). She since graduated in Spring 2009. Now in Louisville, KY teaching MS Science as part of a 'Teach Kentucky' program & getting a MS in Education. |
 Steven & May Parks with Gina (2008). They live in Haslett. Steven is a patent lawyer. |
I dated our old neighbor, Gina Parks, and in November 5, 1993 we were married at St John Student Parish in East Lansing. Gina has two sons, Steven & Eric. Steven is married to May Murshak and they have a daughter, Alexandra, and a son, Samuel. Alli and Sam both are accomplished figure skaters, practicing daily along with gymnastics (& ballet for Alli). Gina now helps being Grandma Gina - driving them to skating and gymnastics on Monday and Tuesdays. |
 Alli, Eric & Sam at Eric's 30th birthday party (2008). |
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We moved to Petoskey after I retired in August 1999 to an nearly
100 year old house that needed a lot of work. After weeks of
working on it, I decided that I needed something to 'get me out
of the house' and got my real estate license. In January of 2000,
I started as an agent of Coldwell Banker Schmidt Realtors in
Petoskey. I never really was a great agent. I like the people,
the computer end of it (marketing, virtual tours, emailing),
but had trouble meeting new people. With the downturn in the
economy, it wasn't too hard to give it up this last year. While in Petoskey, I joined the local Rotary Club, of which I still am a (long distance) member - doing their website. |
 Eric in his condo (2007). |
Eric has had epilepsy since he was 10 and thus has lived at home. His handicap meant he couldn't drive and had difficulty getting a job, so Gina bought a store to provide work for them in Petoskey. It was a resale shop (her part) that sold cards & comics (Eric's part). They enjoyed the business for a number of years. A few years ago though, Eric wanted to be more independent. He wanted to live on his own. So Gina & her 'X' bought a condo in Haslett for Eric. It is near the High School, next to a bus stop, near the mall and shopping. It has taken him awhile to adjust, but he enjoying his new home. |
 Baxter, Gene, Charlie & Gina pose for Christmas photo (2007). This is our 3rd basset and 2nd lab. And we have another basset, Bessie, now - not pictured (yet). |
So with Eric in Haslett, we decided to move back to the area, eventually buying a home in East Lansing. It took 1 1/2 years to sell our Petoskey home and eventually the store, but now we're here to stay. We still have a cottage on a small lake in Northern Michigan, Larks Lake, near Cross Village. So it's cottage time in the summer and enjoying the Lansing area year round. | |
 In front of our East Lansing home - Dec. 2008. |
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I'm still a Catholic, though not the conservative type. I joined a Newman Club in Flint while in college where I met Kathy,
then the student parish in West Lafayette, IN at Purdue. Back in Lansing, we had a little trouble finding the right fit for a parish,
until 1972 when we went to St. John Student Church & Student Center in East Lansing. Although we didn't fit the requirement
(student or professor), we stuck there anyway. It saw the baptism of Peter, other sacraments, Kathy's burial Mass and
Gina's conversion and our wedding. It is another great part of being back to East Lansing (along with MSU sports).
Petoskey and Harbor Springs parishes are a little too conservative for our tastes (and needs). Peace and God's blessings to all!