Welcome to FrommLand

What a Life!

Growing up in Milwaukee during the Lombardi years, Catholic grade school at OLS and basic training at Fromm’s Standard Service. Football and college prep at MUHS while the Pack wins Superbowl’s I and II. Enrolling at UWM school of Engineering; Co-opping at Kimberly Clark and spending the summer of ’71 at NASA on board with the Apollo 15 mission. BS, MS completed and I’m off to see the world.

First stop Bell Labs, Naperville Illinois. 4E development, Social scene, a little NU and a few beers. Work hard, play hard and find Charlene, now my wife for 44 years. Advancement, new opportunity but the world calls. 

Siemens says come visit Munich. Oktoberfest, everyday fest and a company that wants to make the US its quest. AT&T breaks up. Opportunity knocks and we take Siemens from $0 to $2,000,000,000 over the next 20 years. Starting as a development engineer and ending up in the big office. FAU MBA along the way. The Pack is off the grid for a while but Farves its way back to SB XXXI. We produce Jon and later are blessed with Catrina.

Then California calls. Silicon Valley is where tech is happening. Fiber Optics. Join OPLK and manage its IPO. Bada Bing, Bada Boom, through the stratosphere and back to earth again. The company is real, and its value returns to reality. Oh well, experience. On to Petaluma, Gluon a soft switch but too late. Too much already wasted. Investors tired so assets are sold.  Another opportunity in Stockholm. But not so fast, Ericcson not ready to relinquish control so I am  way too soon back in our Boca home.

Then a call from an old friend. Look at this startup up near DC.  nexVortex; a VoIP company for the SMB market. Is it worthwhile for me? I go, I look, I like, and ask  if I can join. I do and over the next 14 years we build it and grow it, 44 quarters in a row. In 2019 the Pack comes back but not quite all the way, and on March 19, 2020  we achieve a great exit for nexVortex! After 47 years in Telecom I am officially retired!

Meanwhile Jon is grown and traveling the world with his roller blades strapped on his back. Living large in San Diego with his lovely wife, Desiree.. Catrina is nearing graduation from Lynn U with a Bachelor's degree in  graphic arts. Char and I continue to enjoy Boca. Retired and still loving, still living. Don’t know when it ends but when it does it will be just fine and all you need to remember is my opening line;  What a life!    Hopefully with much more to Come!

Thanks to all of you that have been part of our journey. We all need each other, and I certainly needed your help.  You are all in my heart.

What a Wife!

We have all heard the old adage that behind every good man is a good woman. Charlene has not only been behind me, supporting me however she could, but has also been beside me from the beginning. As my partner and best friend she has also led me to places I wasn't sure I could get to. She has always inspired me to do and be anything  I  wanted to be.

The fourth of six sisters, she was always the bridge between the youngest and the oldest of her siblings. Loving, outgoing and perhaps just a bit over the Top. She  grew up in Chicago and Justice, IL.  She attended Argo HS, went fishing with her Dad, fought with her sisters and fought for her sisters always believing in Family first. After both of us landed at  Bell Labs we intersected first on the softball field and Parkview pizza and  then bowling and skiing and  falling in love.

The Love of my Life was not what I first saw. Those pony tails coming out of the side of her head; catching the softball with her bare hand; and that laugh; that laugh that said “I am trouble but I am fun”.  

 I remember asking “Who’s that”?  “Charlene” someone said and that was that. She was the love of my life.

Now some 45 years later, after taking her from our home in Illinois, travelling to Germany and back to Florida and later to a few other continents and California and back again to Florida and raising two incredible children together, she is still the one that makes me smile. The one who takes care of everything including our families and our kids and our home and our friends and our life and me and today… 

We’re still having fun… and She's still the ONE!