Roger Before He Knew Vicky
Roger Whitaker grew up in and around Springfield, Illinois. Interested in electronics from an early age, he became a licensed amateur radio operator at 11. Note that his mother encouraged him by studying along with him; she got her ham license at the same time! He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla. You may be interested to learn that one year, he interrupted his studies to go to Tunis, where he served as a radio operator onboard the hospital ship S.S. Hope during a lengthy humanitarian mission. 
Roger at the Ships Radio k9ljb.com
S.S. Hope circa 1960-1974 Wikipedia
Ketch BarakaAfterward, his return to school was delayed by an unexpected adventure. A 56’ ketch moored at Tunis, unable to continue its voyage because its autopilot needed repair. Parts and expertise were nowhere to be found along the North African shore, but someone from the Hope persuaded the ketch owner to let Roger look at the problem. Roger did, and he repaired it. Invited to remain on board as crew, Roger got to sail partway home via Gibraltar, Casablanca, the Canary Islands, and finally, Barbados.
His career as an engineer – he’s still working, albeit part-time -- has been successful but, presumably, less adventurous. He has designed and supported elevator control systems, taught electronics courses, and built, hosted, and supported websites since the early days of the World Wide Web.
