Walter Rongey

After graduation in '79, I spent four years at the University of
Illinois, where I earned my B.S. in Biology. I spent the next four years
at SIU School of Dental Medicine in Alton, graduating (with Rocky) in
1987. I also married Cindy (from Belleville) in 1985. After graduating
from dental school, I joined the Army, thinking I would do that for 3
years before going into private practice.

So over 21 years later, I'm still in the Army, now a colonel. Cindy and
I have lived in Germany twice, Maryland, Korea, California, and Hawaii.
We're now living in Texas for the third time, having moved here last
summer. Along the way we've been blessed with five children--Matthew (18, and a freshman at Niagara University in New York), Josephine (15, a high school sophomore), Mary (10--she'll be 11 on 1 May--5th grade), Christopher (8, 2nd grade), and Peter (5, kindergarten). The dog in the photo is Shadow, but we had to give him up a few months ago (that's our Christmas 2008 photo, by the way). I'm stationed at Fort Hood, TX, where I'm the Assistant Director of the US Army Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Two-Year Program (AEGD-2)--I was a resident in the very same program from 1996-1998. Last summer we bought our current home in Temple, TX, about 25 miles from Fort Hood.

We occasionally get back to G.C., but not too often. Most recently, we were there in early February for my Dad's funeral. My mom still lives in the house where I grew up, and my brother Rob, who was very serioulsy injured in an automobile accident back in 2005, lives with her. Cindy still has family in Belleville, although her Dad died back in February of 1985.

We hope to be there for the reunion in August. That weekend is right at the time when the kids start back to school--all except Matthew, who starts back at the end of the month. I hope we can make it work, though. I was there for the 20th, and it was a really good time.