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| William Leuchten 21 Crystal Road Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 Wleuchte@optonline.net |
| After our graduation from St. Michael's High, I attended St. Michael's College in Vermont. Sr. Julia Anne had encouraged me to concentrate in chemistry and St. Michael's was the only college that allowed me to take a rigorous science major while on a basketball scholarship. In my junior year I met my future wife, Joyce, who was attending Trinity College. We were married right after we graduated. My first job was with Thiokol Chemical Corporation in Trenton where I worked on the development of sealants and solid rocket propellant. This project for the government kept me out of the Korean War. Within five years I changed jobs and went to work for Essex Chemical Corp., another NJ company, as their technical director. I worked on the development of sealants and adhesives for the aircraft and automotive industries. I left the technical area at Essex and worked in marketing and eventually became the CEO. The company grew from a half million to a billion dollars in sales with global operations. In 1988 Dow Chemical acquired Essex off the NY Stock Exchange. I stayed on to head the wholly - owned subsidiary until I retired in 1992. Joyce and I have five children, three girls and two boys. They are all married and are the parents of our 12 grandchildren. Our children were able to go to college and some have advanced degrees. Joyce has been a full time wife and mother but always active in the towns where we've lived (in New Egypt, Hamilton Square, Denville and for the last 37 years in Mountain Lakes). In 1971 she was the first women and first Democrat to be elected to office in Mountain Lakes. I played basketball until I was 52, and played tennis into my sixties. I still enjoy skiing. My passion is golf, which I took up at age 56. I've had a wonderful life growing up in Jersey City, attending St. Michael's High School and the 50 years since. For this I credit the TWO St. Michael's, the teachings of my hard-working parents, and a loving, supportive wife. My children gave me a life perspective and meaning-- and love. And now our grandchildren are the joy of our lives! |
| Birthday- March 10 Married Joyce in 1956 Five Children |