Bob bought his first motorcycle, a Yamaha 100 Twin, in 1968. He bought his first Gold Wing, a two-tone red 1995 SE 1500 in 2000. Kay got her motorcycle license at the age of 57. Way to go Kay! She owned a Honda Rebel, then moved up to a 2005 Honda Shadow 750. In late 2007 they sold the Shadow and had the Gold Wing triked so they could alternate riding on trips. It's affectionately called the "burgundy buffalo"--a name inspired by their trip to the 2008 Wing Ding in Billings, Montana.

Bob and Kay met at a Newman Convention while in college at the University of Wisconsin campus in La Crosse. They have been married 41 years. In fact, Bob's wedding gift to Kay was a white Bell motorcycle helmet! See the "Then and Now" photos. Bob is retired twice; first from the Air Force after a 20 year career as a Management Engineering Officer where he served as a productivity consultant to various organizations. His tours of duty included Arizona (D-M), Spain, Illinois, Texas, and Virginia.
During his last tour at the Pentagon, his office was responsible for the Air Force Suggestion Program which helped save millions of tax dollars each year. Way to go Bob! For his second career, Bob operated a small Building & Home Inspection service for 16 years. In that capacity he prepared condition reports for churches, small commercial buildings, and homes ranging from new to civil-war era structures. He is currently in the process of updating an older home to make it more senior friendly and operates a part-time web design business.

Kay retired after 30 years in the classroom having taught second through sixth grades--the last 20 being in the demanding field of special education. She recently calculated that together with substitute and Sunday School, she has taught over 500 children. Kay is an avid reader and especially enjoys Arizona History. She has blended her love of history and former teaching background into a private tour guide business serving Tucson area visitors.

Bob & Kay joined GWRRA in 2000 and initially belonged to Chapter A in Virginia where they participated in Mid-Atlantic outings from the American Motorcycle Museum in Pinkerington, OH, to Virginia's annual Rally in the Valley. They moved to Tucson in 2004 to look after Bob's aging parents and joined AZ-A soon after unpacking. Since that time, they have served as Chapter Historians, chili fest participants (Kay won a ribbon in 2007), and producers of a DVD chronicling the Pioneer Chapter's first 30 years.

Written by Debbie Ammons
Source: Chapter AZA Newsletter, February 2010