Board of Directors

Graham Hosker

John Machetta 

John Taylor 

Gene Freeman 

Armand Vigna 

Gene Fette 

Ginny Knutson 

 

 

 

Graham Hosker,  President

 

Early Years: I was born and raised in Peterborough Ontario , Canada . I graduated from High school after majoring in motor mechanics and drafting. Later I was fortunate enough to be accepted for engagement in The Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

 

Work Experiences: My training was at Depot Division in Regina Saskatchewan . After training I was transferred to Fredericton , New Brunswick . After about 7 months serving in Fredericton , Moncton and Chatham I was transferred to Halifax , Nova Scotia .   The first year was general police work and highway patrol, including motorcycles. We worked six days a week (for $3.25/day - 30 day month = $97.50). I averaged 350 miles a day when on motorcycle patrol. After about a year I had the opportunity to apply for a position as an Identification Technician (CSI). My evidence was accepted as expert testimony in the Supreme Courts of Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec .   After serving in Nova Scotia I was transferred to the RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa , Ontario . Subsequent to this I had been fortunate enough, on September 11, 1954, to marry my wonderful wife, Helen, who was born, raised and educated in Dearborn . We were married in Dearborn .

 

After being my own boss for seven years in the Identification Branch in Nova Scotia , I got to where I could no longer take the ultra oversight in Headquarters so I left The Force and moved to Dearborn in May, 1958.   Times were tough here then but after three months I got a job with a small plastics company, called The Spiratex Company, for a temporary position that would last a week to ten days. I parted company about 5-1/2 years later in June of 1964.

 

After working at eight different plastic companies, I rejoined Spiratex as Manager, Quality Control in 1972. To make a long story shorter, I was involved with computer again and became the Director of Corporate Operations with five departments reporting to me. I was a programmer for 17 years and created a database management system - order entry and billing that lasted for almost 20

years.

 

Henry Ford Village:  Prior to my retirement, we moved to a retirement community in South Florida in 1993.  I was able to telecommute from there for 4 years before finally "retiring."  I am a Mac person and have been since the first Mac Plus [Apple Computer, Inc.] in 1985.

 

My hobby is digitally retouching photos, which I have been doing for about 12 years.

In the computer club in South Florida I hosted a Mac users group for 7 years and taught a class on Digital Photo Enhancement for 6 years.   Helen, and I moved to Henry Ford Village in September 2005.

John Machetta, Vice President
Early Years:  John attended & graduated from the prestigious Cass Technical High School . He studied electrical crafts & worked throughout his high school years. His first job was to collect coinfilled boxes and replace them with empty boxes. Educational Background: After high school graduation, John attended numerous colleges such as U. of M. & Macomb Community College taking courses that related specifically to the health field. many in the field of biology.

Work Experiences:  John gravitated to the health field and while working for City of Detroit Health Department eventually became the Senior Health Inspector in the food division. He has worked in many private & public institutions that served food. He retired in 1991, lived in Dearborn Heights , & has been a member of the Dearborn Computer Club for 4 years.

Henry ford Village:  John has been at the Village since 2001. Besides computing, he actively pursues “ Three Cushion Billiards”. 

John Taylor, Secretary-Treasurer
Early Background:   I was born south of the Mason-Dixon line in Salem , New Jersey in 1925. Shortly thereafter I accompanied my parents when they moved to Philadelphia , PA where I was raised.  I served in the military during the 2nd World War and subsequently graduated from Drexel University with a BS in EE in 1951. I attended Steven’s Institute of Technology , Hoboken , NJ , almost attaining an MS in Mathematics.

Family:  I met a young lady while in college and took her to wife in 1952. Over the years we had 6 children, all boys, with one pair being identical twins. My wife died in 1998 and I moved into HFV where, while not looking, I managed to find another great lady and sweet talk her into a marriage that has lasted at least until now.

Work Experiences:  My career of gainful employment started at The Bendix Corp. in Teterboro , NJ in 1951, designing and installing automatic pilots for commercial aircraft. In 1956 I moved to Cadillac Gage Co. on Easy Street in Roseville , MI designing and installing hydraulic feedback control systems for Army tanks throughout the world. In 1967 I moved to National Water Lift in Kalamazoo , MI doing much the same thing. That job ran out in 1980 and I returned to Cadillac Gage Co. until retirement in 1992. I got interested in computers relatively early, my first being a build it yourself from a kit type where you learned to program starting with machine language and then advancing to more powerful languages. I had a Texas Instrument and other computers early. When Hewlett-Packard came out with the first shirt-pocket sized, hand held scientific calculator I couldn’t wait to buy one. And so it went, on and on until today with the desk tops and all.

Gene Freeman, Newsletter Editor
Early Background:   Born in Detroit Gene grew up in Dearborn Michigan graduating from the Edison Institute High School and the Edison Institute of Technology. Here in school he learned by doing. When in school he met Mr. Henry Ford, senior, and had many personal contacts with him. One was a personal tour of his father’s house, once located here at Henry Ford Village , before it was moved to Greenfield Village . After graduation from Tech, he joined the US Navy Reserve and was on active duty on December 13, 1941 in Washington D.C. in a photographic department. Later after training as a Deck Officer he took part in the Normandy Invasion delivering Army DUWKS to Utah Beach on D+1. Later he assumed command of LST 58 and sailed back to America after Germany surrendered.  In 1946 Gene was discharged from active duty and maintained service in the inactive Naval Reserve until retirement in 1979 as a Commander. After a year at Michigan State , he graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.  

Family:  Married Pauline after graduation from State and Gene has three daughters, one son, four grandsons, and one granddaughter.

Work Experience:  Gene was a Michigan Registered Professional Engineer, and worked at Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Contract Specialties, Wyandotte Chemicals, and BASF Wyandotte Corp. on retirement was a Consultant for Industrial skilled Trades Training.

Henry Ford Village:   Gene was 84 when he moved here in 2003. How old is he now, “Hey! Do the math.” He is active in the HFV Computer Club and is a committee member of our Club.

Armand Vigna, Web Administrator
Early Background   He grew up in east Dearborn and attended Fordson High School. Concentrated on track and football in his youth. Family:  Armand met Ruth at the University of Michigan where she was majoring in English and Speech while he was concentrating on Physical Education. They have three daughters and a son, five grandsons, one granddaughter, and with a granddaughter on the way.

Education: He earned a B. S. Physical Education; M. A. Guidance and Counseling at the University of Michigan.

Professional Experiences:  Taught in three school districts for 34 years, last 27 years in the Livonia Schools at Franklin High School where he was a counselor as well as a football coach. (In the meantime Ruth taught English and Speech and coached the debating team at Ladywood High School and Novi High school Henry FordVillage:   Moved in November 2000. continues to coach at Livonia Franklin. At the Village is active in Protestant Chapel Activities as well as in Pastoral Ministries. (Ruth is on one of our Birthday Angels.)

Gene Fette, Photographer
Education:  Gene studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburg, & Meinzinger’s Art School of Detroit. His illustrations have appeared in Fortune, Time, Newsweek, Nation’s Business, national & local newspapers.

Professional Experiences:  After early retirement from Consumer’s power, opened an ad agency. After many years Gene created a robotic lighting machine, which he called the “ LUMADROID” and he received a patent for it about 1982. The ‘LUMADROID’ ‘painted with light’ and was used to photograph automobiles, machine tools, and factory interiors with illumination that was superior to stationary lights. Gene’s partner developed Alzheimer’s disease & they closed their ad agency, then Gene spent his last working years, doing stills with a movie company. “ Cinema Plus” and a lot of work with theatrical production

Ginny Knutson, Columnist
Early Background:  Ginny grew up in Flint , Michigan where she enthusiastically participated in musical activities, both vocal and piano. Her big sport interest was swimming. She met her future husband, Chuck, while attending the University of Michigan , from which she graduated. She was enrolled in the School of Music and the School of Education . While there, she sang in the Choral Union and Women’s Glee Club and participated in swimming competition.

Professional Experiences:  After marriage, she and Chuck briefly lived in Arlington , Virginia and then moved to Fenton , Michigan . She taught school for seventeen years, sang in choirs, and did piano accompanying and solo work. Chuck was Professor of Accounting and Finance at GMI. They both enjoyed raising horses and always had a dog.

Family:  They have three children three children who live in this state. Their son and his wife, who live in Birch Run, have two biological children and have adopted three Korean and three Guatemalan children. That totals up to twelve grandchildren for Chuck and Ginny. 

Henry Ford Village:  Ginny became interested in the computer while wintering in Arizona . She took a college course there about seven years ago and joined the local very large and active computer club. She became good friends with the wonderful presenter and leader of this club. This furthered her interest in computers. She says she needs and wants to learn much more.