2013-07-21-11-00-00

William Anton Christopher Lee


Strength through Virtue!



Endeavors:

Personal Page | Facebook

Serenity’s Quest | Personal Poems, Prose & Reflections

Front Porch Conversation | Conversational Forum with Pen Pals

Seen, yet Not Heard | My Personal Journal

Care for Klippel-Trenaunay | A Worldwide KT Awareness Cooperative

Born Rare, Living Valiantly | A Magazine Celebrating Living Valiantly while being Born Rare


My personal journal, “Seen, yet Not Heard”, created the impitus for “Care for Klippel Trenaunay” which in turn led to the creation of “Born Rare, Living Valiantly“, a family of inter-related endeavors for those with or support rare congenital syndromes.

Born Rare, Living Valiantly is a central place that aggregates a worldwide contribution to living and caring for those born with rare, congenital syndromes.

Care for Klippel-Trenaunay is a worldwide cooperative on a mission to increase the awareness of Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome. It includes the founding and managing of the endeavors listed below. Volunteers are needed and welcomed.

  • KT | Courageous …a virtual magazine highlighting those valiantly living with KT
  • KT | House …compassionate volunteers offering guest quartering near KT Clinics
  • KT | Docent …compassionate volunteers offering local transportation to/from KT Clinics
  • KT | Ask Us …a central and confidential place to ask questions about KT advocacy, awareness, care and support
  • KT | Companion …membership only directory for those born with or parenting those with KT Syndrome
  • KT | Professional ..public directory of medical clinics, hospitals, and other professionals offering care for KT
  • KT | Worldwide …private & confidential registry for those born with KT

Turning Points:

… in no particular order, except the top 10

  • Dawne Leslie Wood saying YES and never wavering
  • Robert and Lois Wood trusting me with their daughter
  • The days Dawne discovered she had Breast Cancer & Thyroid Cancer
  • The day Dawne was told that she was free of Breast Cancer
  • The day Dawne had her entire Thyroid removed along with the Cancer
  • The day they diagnosed me with Chronic Peripheral Neuropathy
  • The day they diagnosed me with Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome
  • The day Dr. Harward, vascular surgeon extraordinaire concurred
  • The day the Law Judge reversed 5-years of Social Security admin hell
  • The day I discovered my precipitous drop in energy was biological and not mental
  • The day my 2-year old bro, Rick, directed traffic on the French highway
  • The day my bro, Rick, and I realized being 13-months apart wasn’t so bad after all
  • The death of my 3-year old bro, Norman, a pioneer in pediatric open-heart surgery
  • My “Nanny” taking care of us while Mom and Dad got away for a while
  • The day my youngest bro, Michael, was born and we found out he wasn’t a girl
  • The day I said no to my Mom with Dad unexpectedly home for lunch, ouch!
  • The day we chucked mud balls into the neighbor’s bathroom window, ouch!
  • Learning as a 3-year old that playing doctor with the girl next door was not a good idea
  • Being a trusted neighborhood newspaper carrier at age 9
  • This 11-year old flutist consoling my adult “jam partner” after her husband committed suicide
  • Meeting Senator Hubert H. Humphrey in his Capital office at age 12
  • M.L.K. marching on Washington, DC and giving his “I have a dream” speech
  • Collecting and giving the Washington, DC marchers food and bedding and welcoming them to our city
  • The assassination of President John F. Kennedy
  • The assassination of Martin Luther King
  • Nearly drowning in the Glen Echo Public Swimming Pool
  • The 1964 New York World’s Fair
  • Summer 1964 vacationing at the Catskill Mountain Lake Hotel, a living ‘homage’ to Dirty Dancing
  • Holy Redeemer Elementary School, Kensington, MD
  • Teacher Sister Rose Bernadette taking noticing of a quirky kid
  • Michelle Nys and Mary Anne Clark awaking the sleeping lion
  • Michael Toussaint being a great childhood friend
  • Sadly losing the best choir director ever in 1965 simply because he was Gay
  • Summer vacation in Germany and our last visit with my “Opa”
  • Vatican Council II throwing the baby out with the bathwater
  • Dad leaving us for a tour-of-duty in Fairbanks, Alaska, and Mom learning to drive, scary!
  • Moving to Sacramento, CA from Kensington, MD 3-months before the family joined me
  • Mr. and Mrs. Hilliard being wonderful “parents” for 3 months
  • Christian Brothers High School, Sacramento, CA
  • Teachers Br. Thomas, Br. Ed, Br. Claude and Mrs. Frascinetti
  • John Morton and Tom Santiago being great high school buddies
  • Summer vacation in Fullerton, CA and our last visit with my “Grandpa Lee”
  • The day I realized my Dad was more than ten $20 bills on the buffet
  • My parent’s finally divorcing
  • The day my Dad sold me his nearly new 1968 VW Bug for a promise
  • Carl Keech teaching me that friendship has no age limit
  • Diana Trumble teaching me girl “friends” are about more than a kiss
  • LaVonna and Charles Trumble trusting Diana, ok’d me
  • My early career with McDonald’s Restaurant
  • Greg Kuster telling me his sister was, well frankly wrong headed
  • Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church Youth Group
  • Nick Gladysz teaching me to relax and how to be a friend for life
  • John Zimlich bringing me to my senses about love
  • Randy Langan teaching me to laugh
  • American River College, Sacramento, CA
  • Professor Whitmer and Professor Williams
  • California State University, Sacramento
  • Professor Art Sherman hiring me as his test writer
  • The day I learned politics trumps pragmatism, particularly in local government
  • The day Ken Kruger validated my dream to be an educated, professional working stiff
  • Carl Seymour being there every time I call, even months later
  • Sacramento Employment and Training Agency
  • Norma Johnson trusting me, a slightly obsessive-compulsive white guy
  • Sacramento Municipal Utility District
  • Sheila Wright (now Vickers) picking me off the ground, regularly
  • The birth of my kids, Michelle and Robert
  • The birth of our “adopted” kids, Allyson, Nicole, Stacy, Nick and Michelle
  • The day I realized the amazing strength of character and kindness of all our kids
  • Carl Andonini teaching me government bosses are blind to invention and genius
  • Cullinet Software, the best job I ever had
  • Debra Stacuzzi showing me Boston and more
  • The day the doctor’s told me my Mom had ALS and three months to live
  • My bro Michael taking Mom home to Germany and caring for her for 2 years, wow
  • Jim and BJ Wagner teaching me that family can be your best friends too
  • The day I was hired to work for Sierra Photocopy Services
  • The day I got a handwritten note from David Byman on his deathbed
  • The day I accomplished everything I set out to do at Sierra, except one
  • Shane Balkowitsch being a loyal and exceptional young co-worker
  • Shane Balkowitsch tracking me down years later to say hey, wow!
  • The day my kids celebrated their acceptance into the OC School of the Arts
  • The day my daughter, Michelle, announced she was going to be a teacher, not a psychologist
  • The day my son, Robert, announced he was going to be a professional dancer, not a soccer layer
  • Each of the days when the kids announced they were engaged
  • Each of the days when the kids went through with it and wed their wonderful partners
  • Realizing our children’s spouses and new families considered us family
  • Each of the days my godchildren married their sweethearts
  • The day my grandson, Matthew, was born
  • The day my grandson, Anthony, was born
  • The day my granddaughter, Frankie, was born
  • The day my granddaughter, Ashlyn, was born
  • The day Ralph Opacic asked me to be a Trustee of the Orange County School of the Arts
  • The day Mayor Pulido gave the Orange County School of the Arts a permanent home
  • The day the Orange County School of the Arts called me on stage as a 25-year honoree
  • The day the OCSA Teacher’s accepted my proposal for innovative structural change in their compensation and established parity as their legacy
  • The days my Father and Father in-law died
  • The day we buried Dad at Arlington National Cemetery
  • Working with the best Real Estate professional ever
  • The last day looking back at my dream property & home and having to say goodbye
  • Today, as I awoke six feet up and ready to rock and roll

Born:

  • Fort Huachuca/AZ (Army Brat)

Baby Years:

  • Fort Huachuca/AZ to San Antonio/TX to St Louis/MS

Childhood:

  • St Louis/MS to Verdun/France to Kensington/MD

Teen Years:

  • Kensington/MD to Carmichael/CA

College Years:

  • Carmichael/CA

Adult Years:

  • California including Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Sacramento, Anaheim, Los Alamitos, Running Springs, Lake Elsinore and Aguanga

Travel:

  • USA, Germany and France

Academics:

  • Philosophy, Psychology, Organizational Development, Research Methodologies, Applied Statistics, Business Management

Post-Academics:

  • Project Management, Information Systems Management, Certified Compensation Professional

Work:

  • Government
  • Private Sector
  • Laborer
  • Crew Leader
  • Manager
  • Personnel Officer
  • Personnel Analyst
  • Business Analyst
  • Project Manager
  • Organizational Consultant
  • Business Executive
  • Community Volunteer

Passions:

  • Humanity
  • Family
  • Constructive Conversation
  • Children’s Education and Maturation
  • Art and Arts Education
  • Photography
  • Bettering Community
  • Systems Improvement
  • Conservation and Sustainable Eco Systems
  • Refurbishing and Repurposing
  • Writing
  • Self-Actualization