Florida Coalcracker Chronicles: Peter Spinelli - One of My First and Best Students

Monday, October 23, 2017

Peter Spinelli - One of My First and Best Students

Peter Spinelli - PVHS 1972

Pete in his chopper on his trailer launcher pad.

Peter Spinelli - Mexico Beach - 2017

Pete - in traction - in the hospital.

47 years ago in 1970 - I was a rookie teacher at Panther Valley. I was 22 and so full of confidence. The American Space Program was going full bore and I was an Earth and Space Science teacher. In my first class was Peter Spinelli. He seemed to be interested in what I was doing - he ended up taking 3 of my courses. He graduated in 1972 - the same year as Lulu and we never heard from him again.

Peter was an electronics whiz even then. We built an analog computer together in 1970. He explained to me what a diode was when most of our radios had tubes.

Peter was from one of the best families in Nesquehoning. When I say best - I mean - they did everything together. I marveled about what an excellent house painter Peter was. He could do delicate lines and shapes without the aid of masking tape. I remember his striped walls with perfect edges - the hearts and flowers in his mother's bedroom were works of art. Besides being a star wrestler - Peter held an almost full time job as a house painter - specializing in working high up on a ladder.

On Facebook - one time - I saw the name Spinelli - so I wrote to the person that had it. I asked them about Peter. To my surprise - the person wrote back and said Peter lived in Alabama. Peter was their cousin - and soon I received an email from Peter.

Peter wrote and said he owned a beach front home in Mexico Beach - Florida. He said he seldom visited it - but had to make a visit to repair some wires from hurricane damage. Since Mexico Beach was only 100 miles from my house - and Lulu was in Cocoa Beach with her cousins - I decided to crank up the camper and pay Pete a visit.

The road from Tallahassee to Mexico Beach is a two lane road to nowhere - through the bayous of Florida. It just seemed like a perfect setting for a mystery movie. I wondered what Peter would look like after 47 years. I wondered what I would remember - what he would recall.

His beach home was easy to find. He said it was the only one with a flat roof. This feature would be very important later on in this story. I had to cross back in time from Eastern Time to Central Time Zone - but for me it was a leap of 47 years!

To my surprise - Peter lived the dream life and job to me. He went to college to study electronics and ended up working on projects for NASA - yes that NASA - his stuff was launched on rockets from Cape Canaveral. When the space program died down a bit - Peter started working for the Department of Defense and he built and tested guidance for "smart bombs." His life story was not unlike the story of Homer Hickam on the movie "October Sky."

Around 1998 - Peter bought a helicopter! That is a dream of many scientists - motor heads - and yes dreamers. Choppers are a very expensive toys with limited use. Peter took lessons and flew it for about 8 years. He could cruise at about 100 MPH and land almost anywhere. This right away led me back to the shape of the beach house. I said to Peter - I'll bet you planned to land on the roof. He blushed a little put it was on is mind.

But something happened in 2006 that altered and nearly ended Pete's life. His helicopter had engine trouble and when he tried to land - a power line caught his skid and Peter experienced a near life ending crash. For 2 months he struggled in a hospital with major burns and a broken back and pelvis. He tried returning to work but could not do the intricate design work again. He survived 2 years and then retired.

Peter is 63 now. He worked in Huntsville where they designed the rocket engines to the moon. Now he lives in Birmingham. His wife Wendy is a former school teacher. They enjoy raising rescue animals.

Peter has fond memories of Nesquehoning - Panther Valley Schools - old friends - and my classroom. He went on to do many of the things I have dreamed about. We talked for hours about our travels - and all the different toys we have had. If you mention some electronic device - a twinkle glows in his eye. We are both Coal Crackers - the Valley has left a special layer of values on us. We don't mince words. We finish each other's sentences - we skip from topic to topic like we are following a game program.

After our visit - I pointed the camper east and took the long way home. I took Route 98 that hugs the coasts and crosses through many town along the Forgotten Coast. I wondered if I would ever see Pete again. I wondered what it was like flying and owning a helicopter. I wondered how cool it must be to have something you built and tested zooming around on the International Space Station. I felt proud that a little part of me helped to make that possible.

I zoomed through - St Joes - Apalachicola - Carabelle Beach - Panacea - and Crawfordville. I stopped to see the beach where they practiced for the Normandy Invasion. I went through Apalachicola which at one time was the Oyster Capital of the World.

As I crossed over that line that separated Central and Eastern Time - I had to leave the past behind.
One of the biggest joys of a teacher is to hear how your students are doing. It is so much fun when they remember a quote that you long forgot. It is fun to hear them espouse your values even better than you do. It is fun living a period of your life that has gotten away.