Memory Page-Bill Gryson

What fills my Hours: Alice and I live in Cypress Landing on Chocowinity Bay which is a golfing, boating community in Eastern North Carolina.  We built our home and moved here after my retirement in 2000.  Prior to retirement I was an infrequent golfer and Alice did not golf at all.  We now both play two to three times a week as long as the weather allows it.  We have great friends and a full social life in this active community.  We get away to warmer weather every February to get our golf fix.  This year we travelled to Costa Rica and Florida.

Family/Children: We were blessed with two wonderful children, Vicki and Dan.  Unfortunately, Vicki was diagnosed with cancer in 1998 and passed away at the age of 37 in 2001.  Dan lives in Elgin IL and has two daughters, Olivia 11 and Sophia 8.  We enjoy visiting the Chicago area and spending time with him and our two beautiful grand-daughters.  Since Alice and I retired in North Carolina my sisters, Sue & Sally and my brother Michael have also picked North Carolina for their retirement.

Recent Awards: Since retirement my rewards have been enjoying golfing, boating, and living on Chocowinity Bay.  I have been on the Cypress Landing Golf Club Board of Governors and served as the Golf Club president.  Alice is very active in the Women‘s Golf Association (WGA) and has served on many of their committees.  Alice and I will celebrate our 55^th wedding anniversary on May 31^st and we are rewarding ourselves for this occasion with a French River Cruise in July.

After Central: After graduation I started a career in retail with Kresge Corporation as a management trainee in Cedar Rapids, Ia.  Kresge was renamed Kmart Corporation in 1977 and after 10 moves and 8 relocations I ended up at corporate headquarters in Troy, Michigan as Senior VP of Store Development.  In 1999 Kmart was looking to trim Sr. Management so I took an early retirement at age 59 after 36 years with the company.  In 2002 Kmart filed chapter 11 for which I claim no responsibility.

Phi Delta Tau Memories:

Although I was not a member, most of my memories at Central involve my friendship with many of the brothers.  Sharing the basement of a Pella family in my first year with George Smith, when there was no room for us on campus; playing receiver on the Phi Delta touch football Champion team; and great parties at the cabin off campus etc. I have great memories enjoying the friendship of the Phi Delta brothers throughout my years at Central.  It will be great seeing them again for the first time since the reunions in the 70’s.