Congratulations to the class of 1976 on the 50th anniversary of your graduation from Ranken Technical College. It is our institutional tradition to honor our Golden Graduates – all those celebrating five decades, or more, as alumni – at our annual graduation event. In addition to our tribute at graduation, we also honor our Golden Graduates by collecting and posting their stories to honor their work and inspire prospective Ranken students. Below you can find pictures and personal stories from graduates of the class of 1976, serving as a tribute to their accomplishments. If you would like your story and picture added to this page, please email [email protected].
STEVEN (Steve) BALLEW ’76 Automotive Maintenance Imperial, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Builder. After graduating he worked for about five years as mechanic and then bought an old home in Benton Park to renovate and sell. He continued buying, fixing, and selling homes for 20 years, after which he built and sold new homes for 10 years before retiring. He has stayed busy in retirement doing mechanical work on motorcycles.
Favorite aspects of your profession: Design
Favorite Ranken memory: In high school Steve always liked working on cars so going to Ranken was natural.
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: He had a lot of respect for his instructors, Mr. Ruth, Mr. Davenport, and Mr. Wilson, with Mr. Bob Ruth being his favorite.
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: Just do it!
JAMES (Jim) BOETTCHER ’76 Automotive Maintenance Chanhassen, MN
What is your current/previous job/position/company: After graduating from Ranken, Mr. Boettcher worked as a mechanic at a Ford Dealership in Southeast Missouri for a “couple of years,” then moved back to St. Louis and “worked at a dealership for 7 ½ years.” He wanted to further his career and decided to go back to school. He enrolled at SEMO and received his bachelor’s degree in business management. Upon completion of the degree, he moved to Detroit and worked for GM as a Drive Train Engineer for two years. Then took a job with Ford as an Automatic Transmission Engineer. He then transferred to Florida and got into sales, service and marketing, and took on the role of Field Service Engineer. He then moved on to Memphis as Fleet Division Field Manager and technician trainer. After his tenure in Memphis, he then doubled back up north and moved to the “Twin Cities” in Minnesota and took on the role of Dealer Operations Manager; followed by a promotion to District Manager over 18 dealerships. He became a Wholesale Manager, a culmination of decades of hard work, and when it was offered… took early retirement at age 52.
Favorite aspects of your profession: “Everchanging, continuous improvements, technology-driven, never a dull moment!”
Favorite Ranken memory: “The last three months of education when they operated the shop like a business and brought in cars for us to repair. We worked on faculty cars and even fixed Ben Ernst’s car.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: Mr. Bob Ruth – he said, “Get the basics.”
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: Your education at Ranken will put you ahead of your co-workers when you are employed.
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: “Going to Ranken gave me a leg up on all the techs I worked with because Ranken taught me all the basics. I was ahead of technicians with 10 – 15 years of service, in what I knew. My Ranken education got me noticed. Diversity in what all the instructors taught us really benefitted me.”
Personal Information: Jim and his wife Lesa are enjoying retirement and Jim goes fishing three times a week. He is working on fishing all the Minnesota lakes. He has his work cut out for him, as Minnesota is known as the land of 10,000 lakes!
GERALD (Jerry) BOSCHERT ’76 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating Weldon Spring, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Boschert is the HVAC Project Manager/Outside Sales at Chesterfield Service. But he does this out of a love for the job and the work. Mr. Boschert graduated from the HVAC program in 1972. He started working in the industry and eventually found himself working for Jerry Kelly to help him launch his company in 1977. Mr. Boschert then decided to go into business for myself and founded “Jerry Boschert Heating and Cooling. I eventually sold this thriving, successful business to an employee. I still enjoyed working and when a friend at Chesterfield Service called me, I decided to take him up on the opportunity to be a salesman for him which I have done for eight years.”
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Constantly meeting different individuals with HVAC needs (small & large)
Favorite Ranken memory: Enjoyed the classmates and their various backgrounds working towards graduation and the future.
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: John Manino
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “Listen to instructor, apply what you have learned and be open-minded to what the future may hold.”
NICHOLAS (Nick) BUCHHEIT ’76 Automobile Body Repair Hazelwood, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Buchheit Had a 40-year career as an Automotive Collision Repair technician. “I started at Godat Auto Body where he spent four years before taking a job at Old Style Body where I stayed for seven years. I then decided to try the Dealership environment and worked at Ernie Patti Olds for two years and two years at Huey Honda. Maze Auto Body in St. Charles was my last job, and I worked there for 25 years. I retired in 2015.”
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Panel replacement welding
Favorite Ranken memory: “Before graduation, there was a field day where we played softball on the big lawn between Finney and the automotive building.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: All of them knew their subject and cared about the students.
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “Same advice my grandfather gave to me when I was going to Ranken-“Stay with it”-graduate and be successful what you studied.”
Personal Information: He and his wife Paulette will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary in the Fall. Their son Eric graduated from Ranken’s Automotive Maintenance program in 2007 and is now District Service Manager for Hiab USA.
BOB CHRISTOPHER ’76 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating St Charles, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Christopher is a St. Louis Cardinals Event Planning Manager. As he was completing his HVAC degree at Ranken – and two months prior to graduation – he was approached by a hotel to “do HVAC and maintenance work.” He took the job but decided to switch focus and worked at Chrysler for 19 months, with the goal of getting into the maintenance dept. Mr. Christopher continued to grow his skill set and got on hired by Contel/Verizon to do outside installation and repair at universities, high schools, and commercial buildings. “I did a side job installing the phone system at Ranken. NOW I work for the Cardinals as an event manager helping with weddings, bar mitzvas, fantasy camps, etc.”
Favorite aspects of your profession: interaction with fans and employees.
Favorite Ranken memory: Classmates
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: All the instructors-Mr. Blake, Mr. Mueller, Mr. Ott, Mr. Kester, Mr. Pumphrey, Mrs. Crabtree
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: Do not rush, try to take all the training in, and listen.
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: Was appreciative of Ranken for the structure, discipline, regiment, short hair, no facial hair, and uniforms.
Personal Information: Mr. Christopher and his wife Mary have two children, eight grandchildren and one stepdaughter (deceased)
KENNETH (KEN) EBERS – ( EEE-burs)’76 Industrial Electricity/Electronics Columbia, IL
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Ebers is a retired Procter & Gamble-Instrument Electrician. After graduating from Ranken, he worked at Bussman Fuse for one-and-a-half years, IBEW as an outdoor construction electrician for six months, Cerro Copper for nine months and then “I got hired at Proctor and Gamble as an Advanced Instrument Electrician and stayed there for 25 years and retired when I was forty-seven. While I was still working, I took classes to get licensed as a locksmith, as I enjoyed learning. It licensed right at the time I graduated and have been a locksmith for the last 22 years and the only licensed locksmith in Monroe County.”
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Respected for knowledge, problem solving, hands-on.
Favorite Ranken memory: Graduation
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: Bob Heineken and Charles Lenau
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: Work hard, train hard, have fun and enjoy family and friends.
Personal Information: He and his wife Marcy have been married for 48 years; they have three kids and six grandkids.
RAYMOND (Ray) FERGUSON ’76 Automobile Body Repair St Louis, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: “During my career, I worked as a custom car painter, ran my own motorcycle repair shop, spent some time as a heavy construction union laborer, and was a Ranken security guard for ten years. While working as a security guard, I also helped with the bulk mailings for Ranken.”
Favorite Ranken memory: Class float trip
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: Steven Alsup
What advice would you give to a potential Ranken student: “There is stuff you learn at Ranken that you use in life, and it is not found in any book.”
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: The discipline and work ethic skills that Ranken instilled were important in getting my first job.
JOSEPH (Joe) GIVANCE ’76 Gas Welding St Louis, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Givance is a retired tool maker at Boeing. “After graduation, I went to work at McDonnell Douglas as a welder, did that for just a few months and then switched to tool and die which I did for the rest of my career and retired from Boeing in 2008.”
Favorite Ranken memory: Dedication of the instructors and their professionalism
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: Mr. Frank Bayless
What advice would you give to a potential Ranken student: “Be the best student you can be, learn all you can, and pay attention as it will pay off.”
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: “It meant a lot to me, was great and enjoyed it very much. After graduating, the results were outstanding.”
Personal Information: Jeh-VANCE is married to Henrine, they have three children and four grandchildren and like to volunteer at their church.
RICHARD (Rick) HARTING ’76 Industrial Electricity/Electronics Troy, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: “I am now retired from Toyota Manufacturing where aluminum castings were made into 4-and 6-cylinder engine parts . My position was maintenance electrician where I was involved in troubleshooting equipment failure and repair in a timely matter. I installed machinery from start to finish installing electrical conduit, wiring, setting up parameters in instrument, including programmable logic controller known as PLCs. Also, I met equipment representatives from all over the USA and world learning about the different cultures as well as gaining knowledge of the equipment.”
1996 – Toyota Robotic training
Favorite aspects of your profession: “The planning of projects that took various skills that I acquired from Ranken College. The electrical theory with putting hands-on in laboratory assignments, in the first year at Ranken, were invaluable throughout my working career as well as my personal life. The second and third year, (it was required three years back in the day to graduate), it was hand winding DC and AC motors, learning how to bend conduit and using the code book for wire size. Ten years (1986) after graduating, I came back to Ranken for training in programming PLCs.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: “I do not remember the names of faculty. What I do remember is they taught me the skills to be successful and to be professional by doing the necessary things with excellence.”
What advice would you give to a potential Ranken student: “I have learned an occupation that played a part in helping the company I worked for to be profitable. In turn, they were able to provide my family and me with a good salary and benefits. Most importantly, I found making the decision to attend Ranken and returning 10 years later to update my skill, to be rewarding by having job satisfaction. When you decide your major, learn good study habits, excel in attendance, be on time, and keep learning new techniques. These factors will serve you well whether it is owning a business or being employed.”
Personal Information: Mr. Harting volunteers, finding fulfillment in using his skills to help others.
DAVID HASKINS ’76 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Heating Defiance, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Haskins worked in HVAC for about 15 years and then heard Laclede was hiring Ranken graduates. He applied, was hired, and …”… worked for them for twenty-eight and a half years. Also did side work on appliances as I always liked that line of work because that was my dad’s specialty. Three best things that happened to me were meeting my wife, going to Ranken, and getting hired at Laclede/Spire.”
Favorite Ranken memory: “I remember one of my friends got a new car and on a whim he and I and some friends decided to take off and go to the Ozarks. We got in trouble for that. I also remember being partnered with a classmate for two years to do all our projects, the two of us ended up being great friends and were in each other’s weddings. So many great classmates.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: Mr. Ott, Mr. Lemachia, Mr. Mamenough, Mr. Mueller
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “Show up every day and be thankful for it because you will always have a job.“
FREDERICK (Fred) HECKER ’76 Diesel-Gasoline Engine Mechanics St Louis, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Upon graduation, Mr. Hecker started at Onan Generator where he worked on custom generator installations for more than ten years. Mr. Hecker then came back to St. Louis and worked as an architectural model builder before eventually joining “UniDynamics” as a defense contractor, building armored box launches for the Navy Metaphase Design group as an industrial design model maker. “While working there, my boss told me that he needed something to prevent people from getting carpal tunnel while typing on the keyboard. I thought about it for a while and designed/created the gel-filled wrist guard that people rest their wrists on while typing.” Following his tenure at UniDynamics, Mr. Hecker joined Sunnen making engine machining equipment. “Lastly, I was self-employed buying and repairing homes and then did home repair.” NOW retired.
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Being able to understand the problems at hand and then fixing the problems is the best way.
Favorite Ranken memory: Dedication of the instructors and their professionalism
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: Bobby Douglas and Gary Lueterno
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “Learn to do more than just what is in front of you.”
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: Ranken education made him capable of doing anything.
Personal Information: Mr. Hecker and his wife Marcia are now raising greyhound dogs.
CHARLES (Charlie) HOLCOMB ’76 Automobile Body Repair
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Holcomb worked for eight years in various union shops, including working for South Side Burien Auto Repair for two years. Mr. Holcomb moved on and found a good match: Koetting Ford. He wound up working with Koetting Ford for 27 years, followed by working at Snellsons Collision Repair for 11 years before retiring. “I grew up across the street from a man who worked on cars in his garage, and I helped him. I liked working on his cars and so I decided to go to Ranken.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: “Steve Alsup was my main instructor and was very comical and prepared me well for work.”
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “That with a Ranken education, you will always have a job and be able to make a good living.”
NORMAN (Norm) HUMPHREY ’68 Industrial Electricity/Electronics Collinsville, IL
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Humphrey retired from Lucent Technologies Engineering Dept, serving as a member of technical staff. “After high school I worked at a foundry, and it was mindless robotic work, and I told my Mom I could not do that anymore. She had me talk with my uncle and he said Ranken is the best trade school around and that I should go into Electric program. So, I did. Western Electric came to Ranken to recruit when I was a student, so I took a job with them because they paid the most. My position was Engineering Associate working on 3CL Switchboards. In 1983, they changed names to ATT. In 1997, Western Electric Engineering Group was spun off as Lucent Technology. Retired from Lucent in 2001. Spent the next 16 years doing contract work on my own, wiring houses. Fixing up rental and investment properties. I retired in 2017 and now am a snowbird.”
Favorite aspects of your profession: in-depth knowledge of how electricity works and how it affects our lives in so many ways.
Favorite Ranken memory: Installing light fixtures in the extremely high ceiling of the shop.
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: “Mr. Heineken (He was also my son’s Jeff favorite when he was at Ranken 21 years later.)”
What advice would you give to a potential Ranken student: “What knowledge you take into life from Ranken will make you highly successful in the job market.“
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: Ranken education made him capable of doing anything. I encouraged my son Jeff to go to college at SIUE, which he did for one year but did not like it. I told Jeff, “I went to Ranken today to get some info for you in case you might like that better. He laughed and said he had gone to Ranken two weeks earlier to get info.” My son and granddaughter, Kayla Humphrey), saw what a great benefit my Ranken education was for me and so they wanted to go there as well.
Personal Information: First of three generations of Ranken Graduates. Jeff (son) graduated from Industrial Electricity Electronics in 1991. Kayla (granddaughter) is graduating this year, 2026, from the Electrical program.
DANNY (Dan) LAKE Machine Shop Practice St. Charles, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Lake joined the Navy after high school and served for four years. He tracked submarines while stationed at Midway Island and St. Nicholas Island. He enrolled at Ranken as “one of the older students in class at age 24.” About two months before graduation, he was hired by National Venders and worked there for 33 years. He decided to move to North Carolina and retired at 62.
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Working in the engineering department making prototypes of vending machines where I was a working supervisor for the last nine years.
Favorite Ranken memory: “We had a great group of guys, seemed like we all got along.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: Mr. Ohler & Mr. Verdeber
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “Do not give up. Enjoy what you do.”
GREGORY (Greg) PSZYK ’76 Diesel-Gasoline Engine Mechanics, Kendall, NY
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Hailing originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, Mr. Pszyk worked hard to find the kind of education that would help fulfill his passion. “I wanted to attend a Diesel program, found Ranken on my own and loaded up my pickup truck with everything I owned and drove to St. Louis. Diesel was a one-year program at the time, and I lived in motel until I almost ran out of money. I then moved into a mobile home off Arsenal St with a friend who was in refrigeration. Worked in the cafeteria, as a night watchman and cleaned bathrooms in Finney while a student to help pay tuition.”
- Worked for Kozaczek Bros in New York after graduating for three years.
- Service Manager for one year at a Diesel shop in Richmond, VA
- Fuel shop in West Virginia rebuilding engines for five years
- D & W Diesel in Western NY rebuilding engines
- Caterpillar for last 22 years of employment as an Engine Mechanic
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Testing repaired/rebuilt engines & components.
Favorite Ranken memory: Live engine testing and power generation
Favorite Ranken Faculty member: Mr. Markel
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: Take pride in your work
Personal Information: “Been retired for 11 years, raised four kids, one daughter lives in O’Fallon MO.”
DAVID ROBBEN ’76 Machine Shop Practice St. Charles, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Prior to attending Ranken, Mr. Robben was looking for work as a mechanic and could not find any. In his own words:
“I knew a man in the Navy Reserves (served for 20 years) who said he would hire me as a machinist at the Shell Oil Refinery in Wood River. I took the job, and the man told me to go to Ranken for night school to learn the trade. I worked as a machinist at Wood River Refinery for 39 years.”
Favorite aspects of your profession: Good pay, steady work, and retirement benefits
What advice would you give to a potential Ranken student: Pick a job and stick with it.
STEPHEN THOMURE ’76 Automotive Maintenance Millstadt, IL
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Thomure retired from the position of Substation Electrician from Ameren, Illinois in 2017. “After graduation, I went to work for Mixon Buick and stayed there three years. I then went to work for Illinois Power, which became Ameren and worked in the garage at Ameren until 2002 and then moved to a substation as an electrician. Ameren was a great place to work. Working with high voltage, we had a safety meeting every day.”
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: Working with my hands.
Favorite Ranken memory: “All of it. It gave me the skills and knowledge to make a living for my family. I enjoyed the last few months of my education when the shop operated as a business, and they took in cars off the street that needed repairs. Really learned how an actual shop functioned.”
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: Mr. Kopp and Mr. Ruth. All the teachers worked with you and were patient as we learned.
What advice would you give a potential Ranken student: “This is the best tech school in the Midwest, learn all you can.”
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: “My Ranken education helped me a lot in my career. Someone just asked me about going to trade school and I told them they need to go to Ranken. When I was working at Mixon, the union required me to take classes. I went to another tech school for a class and the instructor said, “you went to Ranken, what are you doing here? You could teach this class.”ALAN WEATHERBY ’76 Machine Shop Practice Saint Louis, MO
What is your current/previous job/position/company: Mr. Weatherby retired from Nestle Purina in May 2023 and is volunteering his time to support people in need. As part of his experience at Ranken…”I took a part-time job at Nooter before graduating, which Ranken helped me get. After graduating, I went to work at Nooter full-time and stayed there until 2000 when they shut down. As a member of the Boiler Makers Union, I worked at several power plants for a few years through the hall as a mechanic. Then I got a job at Continental Fabricators and was there until 2005 then got a job at Nestle Purina at their support center where I worked until 2023. “
Favorite aspect(s) of your profession: I enjoyed the challenge.
Favorite Ranken memory: Getting to know everyone in my class.
Favorite Ranken Faculty members: “Mr. Verdeber and Mr. Ohler challenged us to name something made that was not touched by a machinist and we could not, which I thought was cool.”
What advice would you give to a potential Ranken student: “Take pride in the skills you learn at Ranken. Always put in the extra effort and be safe.”
How did Ranken education impact your career/life: “Ranken taught me how to be a good employee and how to keep a job.”
Personal information: Mr. Weatherby and his wife Allision have three sons: Adam, Alec, Aaron