Mike Colby

I was born in 1943 in Norfolk, Virginia.   Ron, my older brother, also graduated from Campbell High.  As an infant, my family moved to Louisiana where we both lived in New Orleans, for a while, and in Patterson, Louisiana, on the Bayou Teche.  At age nine, I moved to the Campbell area where I attended Hamilton Grade School, Campbell Grammar, and, of course, Campbell High.  Some of my fondest memories include Pioneer Days, Hans Hansen Bakery, Senior Sneak Day and sports activities. 

After graduating from Campbell High School, I began my college years at San Jose State and then transferred to Chico State University where I completed my B.A. degree and, eventually, my Masters.  I write “eventually” because Uncle Sam decided that my education should be interrupted as I would be called up for military service. In 1969, I accepted a direct commission into the US Army where I spent two years at Fort Benning, Georgia, (where I met my wife) and one year in Viet Nam.  After leaving active Army components as a young Captain in my twenties, I remained with the Army Reserves for 26 years and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in Hospital Administration.  Concurrently in civilian life, I eventually joined the Federal Government with a background in Administration from which I retired in 2003. I spent some 30 plus years with diverse Federal agencies, ending my career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District.

  I married in 1972 to my wonderful wife of 48 years.  We have two great sons.  No grandchildren.

I really regret not having been able to make the 50th and 55th reunions; but, unfortunately, while I was in Vietnam, I was attached to a Combat Aviation Group in Can Thou in the Mekong Delta.  I was in and out of helicopters on a daily basis. I ingested dust routinely and with it, Agent Orange, a defoliant. It sometimes takes years for the symptoms of Agent Orange to show up. And wouldn’t you know it, I started having symptoms during the time of the reunions. After five cardioversions, three ablations, a double bypass, and a heart valve replacement, I feel I’m on the road to recovery and have had no major symptoms for the last four years. Many of my friends from Vietnam were not so fortunate.

I still hunt upland game with my older son Clark and fly fish whenever possible in Washington and Idaho. Fishing in Montana, Louisiana, and Alaska were some of my highlights.  I tie my own flies and will be fishing the St. Joe River in Idaho this August and hunting pheasants in September in Washington.  I bred hunting dogs and competed in dog trials for years.  I continue to train hunting dogs, a hobby of mine since I was nine years old.  I grew up water skiing on Lake Shasta and elsewhere.

I love the outdoors and enjoy spending most of my time with my wife and two sons.  I enjoy gardening, cooking, and photography.  Another interest I have had since the age of ten is playing the piano, believe it or not.  I still play several hours a week and consider my piano as a personal friend.

While I was in the Reserves, I was deployed annually as a Mobilization Designee to several states where I met many friends in California, Washington D.C., Colorado, Texas, and Hawaii.  We try to visit Hawaii and Louisiana as often as we can.  Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, everything is temporally put on hold.

None of us have reached this age without losing family members, loved ones and close friends.  I wish you all well and will always cherish the many fond memories while attending Campbell High.  I also would like to thank Lynda for keeping us so current with the class of 62.  Stay safe. 

Sincerely,
Mike Colby