Rich Van  Konynenburg

After graduation from MHS, I went to U. C. Davis and studied mechanical and agricultural

engineering, receiving a B. S. degree.  Then I went to graduate school to study Applied Science

at Lawrence Livermore National Lab.  I got an M. S. degree and was working on a Ph. D.

degree involving  radiation effects in metals when I was called into active duty in the Army in

1968.  I served two years at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as an officer, doing research in explosives and

land mine detection, with five weeks of temporary duty in Vietnam to test a riverboat-mounted

weapons cache  detector.  In 1970 I returned to Livermore, and I finished the Ph. D. degree in

1974.

I got a job at the Livermore lab, and worked there until my retirement in 2002.  At the lab,

I worked on a variety of projects involving nuclear materials and technology.  Toward the end of

my career, I worked primarily on nuclear waste management and plutonium disposition  research,

including the Yucca Mountain project.

I married Diana ( Pollard ) Vieira in 1986, who was also from Modesto ( a graduate of

Downey High about 12 years later than our class ), and inherited two stepsons, Chris and Mike.

They are both married now, and Chris has two sons, Eric and David.

Diana worked in the mortgage and banking industry for several years, and retired a couple

of years ago from her job as a corporate trainer for Citibank.  She is an avid sea kayaker as well

as a gourmet cook.  We have traveled to some interesting places, including the Middle East,

Europe, South America, and most recently we went to Alaska last summer to kayak-camp and to

tour around.  We hope  to visit New Zealand in the future, and do some kayaking there.  We're

active in the Cornerstone  Fellowship church in Livermore.  We're also working on our house

and yard, and have just finished a much-needed restoration of our  swimming pool.

Health wise,  I had cancer about six years ago, but it looks like surgery, irradiation,

chemotherapy, nutrition, and a lot of prayer have knocked that out.  At least, so far, so good.  I

was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, and got a CPAP machine, and that has really been a

wonderful thing. All in all, I have a lot to be thankful for, and I look forward to seeing whomever is

able to make it to the 45th reunion in Turlock in June.   I regret that some have passed on and will

not be able to come.  I'll miss seeing them, but hopefully they are in a better place.

Rich van Konynenburg

richvank@aol.com

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