Robert Manzanares

After high school I went to UTEP for 2 1/2 years but ran out of money and decided to take a break. I never went back. Got married to my soul mate, Cindy Silva in 1973 and had two beautiful daughters, Lisa & Monica. Lisa went to EPHS (class of '92). and married Alex Rascon (EPHS class of '89). He is the son of Sandra Venegas Rascon EPHS Class '69 (small world). They gave us two grandchildren Aidan and Maura. Monica followed her mother's foot steps and went to Loretto Academy (class of '96) and married Roy Morales (EPHS class of '97). They gave us two Grandsons, Demitrius and Cedric. Both girls are college grads, Lisa from UTEP and Monica from St. Mary's. My girls are my pride and joy. They have become beautiful women inside and out.

They say that most people change jobs 7 times in their lives. I am spent. Worked as delivery boy for a pharmacy during college years. Debt collector when I got married. Walgreen manager, a drug buyer for Medical Center Pharmacy and even started my own pharmaceutical company ( legal endeavor). I owned a steel fabrication company and for the past 32 years, a grocer. Retired on January 1, 2020

Life has been good to me and I am thankful for God's gifts. My years at EPHS were great times that I will never forget.

"The difference between school and life?
In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson". (a quote by Tom Bodett)

We are now past 60 and boy, what lessons we can now teach.

Senior year I was in charge of getting the crash car for homecoming, the one students would pay money to bangup. I bought one for twenty bucks but of course it didn't run. Woody Delora, Ernie Arredondo and I pulled it out of a hole in the ground with Woodys truck about 8 blocks from the school. Woody was driving his truck I was steering the clunker and Ernie was in the back of Woody's truck making sure the chain didn't break. We headed down Cliff then made a turn onto Virginia. Woody started to pick up speed and I realized the clunker had no breaks. Got to Schuster, Woody breaks and the clunker didn't. Ernie was siting on the tailgate and thought it would be a good idea to stop the clunker with his legs. Now you know how Ernie Arredondo broke his leg his senior year.
(remember we were dumber than dirt and hadn't gotten our diploma yet)