Sharon Smith Gibson

1958-1961

Ford in grade 6. Saint Mary's in 7th and 8th grades.

Had the credits at mid-term so left school and went to work at AT&T in Anaheim as a switchboard operator. Came back for our graduation ceremony. Got pregnant, got married, got divorced. Got my first real job as switchboard operator at FPD in '62. Worked up to file clerk, then meter maid. Married current husband in 1968 just as I was hired by OCSO as a Deputy Sheriff when their new women's jail was about to open. Worked the jail for two years then transferred to Patrol Division, Transportation. Delivered female prisoners to and from the Marshalls at the County Courts and occasionally flew or drove to other Calif. locations to pick up prisoners arrested on O.C warrants. Great job.
In 1975 my husband, who had been let go from Hugh's after many year's with them as an engineer, finished the construction of our multihull sail boat that he built in our backyard in Westminster. We launched the boat, sold everything we owned, quit my job, and the three of us (daughter Cheryl was now 12) sailed to Hawaii and then to French Polynesia with intentions of cruising all of the South Pacific Islands. Persistent problems with the boat's motor caused us to return to Hawaii and then to California in late 1976 where we sold the boat.
Ended up back in Hawaii in the Charter Boat business, first in Maui (1978) then in Kauai (1979). Bought our first home and worked the charter boat at the Kauai Surf Hotel (now the Marriott Resort) at Kalapaki Beach. Did that till hurricane Ewa (1982) put the hotel out of business. Rented out our condo and moved to Watsonville, CA where we built a "clean room" with 3 other partners and made particle-free solvents for IBM who paid us a lot. Flew to Kauai and bought a 2nd rental property in '87.
Sold the business in 1988 and moved into a 19' trailer in a friends commercial lot on Hwy 78 in San Marcos, CA. Built our second trimaran there and launched her in '91. Sold the trailer and car and sailed to Hawaii. Sold the condo and bought a duplex. Moved into the house. Built a 2nd story. Moved in upstairs and rented the downstairs.Now have 3 income properties and "retired." It's 1991.
Next . . . Huricane Iniki in 1992 - more later

**Was Fullerton's "Miss Hospitality" in 1960. Also represented Fullerton in the Miss Orange County contest at the O.C. Fair that year. All of the contestants and their dates got bused to L.A. to appear on "The Lloyd Thaxton Show" and my date (Dick Eads - my handsome J.C.Vet boyfriend and my daughter's father) and I won the cha-cha-cha dance contest.
**My best buds Gena Brunkow and LaVida Varner (c/o 1960) and all the grand times we had - mostly cutting school and finding a way to get to the beach.
**Spent lots of time at that little burger shop between FUHS and FJC (finally learned its name; Lloyd and Vi’s). Hillcrest Drive In. The Bean Hut (met my first husband there). The Clock near the beach. All those great cars back then. All those great boys back then. What a fun time.

I just loved Miss Shafransky in Modern Dance. I loved all of my math teachers but can't remember their names. Also the most wonderful English teacher - Grace Miller? She was a great teacher. Hated History and Social Studies. Fell asleep once during a class we were sitting in our desks outside the classroom. Woke up and I was the only one still outside. Very embarrassing.