Ross McGlasson  
Ross McGlasson
Married to Martha (Martie) for 45 years.
Children: Laura Hotvet, 40, Shorewood, MN; Andrew McGlasson, 38, Eden Prairie, MN; Abigail Wilson, 35, Chanhassen, MN. Six Grandchildren.
WORK: First job, Officer, US Navy 3 years Minesweeper, Pacific Fleet; 1963-1968 NW Bell, various management positions; IBM Corporation, various sales and sales mgmt positions;
1993-2003 Ross Management group, principle in IT Consulting practice; 2003-Present Retired
Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute Foundation board director, 3 years; Mount Calvary Lutheran Church Foundation Chair; Kids Against Hunger, board director; Rotary International, 16 year member, currently President.
INTERESTS: Previously helped restore 90 year-old steamboat that had been sunk In 1926, did woodwork on the boat, constructing many planks. Upon completion, became senior captain of the Minnehaha on Lake Minnetonka. Traveling; have taken four cruises and spend time in Mexico and Hawaii. Grandchildren. All six live within five miles of me and we see a lot of them, their ball games, their hockey games, and school activities.
Significant Events: I served on the local school board for seven years, four as chair. During that tenure we were selected as one of 15 outstanding school boards in the US. In 2000, I suffered a life-threatening staph infection and spent two months in intensive care in a coma, followed by two months in rehabilitation. A year of outpatient care followed that episode. That taught me a lot about my mortality, my insignificance, the importance of family and friends. God spoke to me during my recovery and showed me that I have a lot of work to do before I go. Being a member of Rotary has shown there is so much good in the world that we never hear about. I had the chance to be one of millions that helped eradicate Polio in the world and am now working among many others to bring safe water to Haiti. The power of many hands doing just a little is overwhelming.
Significant World Events: The space missions have been awesome. I was directly involved and witnessed the computer introduction and evolution. This has moved me in many ways, mostly positive. I am deeply disturbed by the loss of civility between government leaders, organizations, business situations, gangs, and individuals. It will be up to my grandchildren to turn this around. I have ssen the miracles of modern medicine (applied to me) and I am in awe.
CHANGES: Well, mostly I've gotten older and hopefully a bit wiser. I have accepted Jesus as my leader in life and am finding that to make my life a wonderful adventure. The only thing I miss about the fifties is the simplicity of life that we enjoyed. That was probably due, in large part, to the lack of instant communications that we have today. But things were simpler then; cars had carburetors, drugs were a good thing, people were polite for the most part, opportunities seemed endless. We made commitments to each other, our employers, our church, our schools; and we kept them. The media were in the background, reporting the news, not trying to make the news. Litigation was a last resort, not a normal way of getting along.
REFLECTIONS: We all have been given much and been given the opportunities to realize the gains from our gifts. Now it is time to give it back to our society in ways that are meaningful. We should provide for our families in a limited sense and put the rest to work where it will do the most good.