Erich presented an excellent accounting and power point of his family.  Starting with his mother being born in Johannesburg, South  Africa.  Her father had fought the Germans during WWII.   She was the only one in her family to leave South Africa.  His father, Helmuth was born in Munich, Germany.  This was during the war, and Erich reported that his dad liked the GI’s.  After the war his family  left for Sweden and his dad worked for a Tool and Die maker.

He met his wife, Erich’s mother, in Sweden and when she took Helmuth home to meet her family, she did not mention that he was from Germany.  She told her family that he was from Sweden.

Eventually,  the family moved to New York City and finding no work, they moved to Denver and then Burbank.  His father worked in a Tool & Die Shop and eventually started his own business.   In Southern California the family lived in San Dimas, South Pasadena and Erich played basketball very well while at Burbank High.  He applied to Occidental College, but there was so scholarship for basketball players.

Erich at this time,  not having any success at various colleges put aside sports to concentrate and focus on education.  He went to Cal State Chico from 1978-1982.  He always wanted to be a CPA.   He had always liked math.  He wanted to be part of a respectful profession.  He received his B.S. degree is 1982.

His next step was to go to San Francisco to get a job.  He always thought San Francisco would be the place to be.  He found out that there was no future for him in San Francisco, so he came home.

In 1987 he became employed at Martin Werbelow LLP a Pasadena company and in 2208 he became manager of Quality Control and then a Partner in the company.

He met his wife Melissa at work and they married in 1992.  They both love the outdoors and bike riding all over.  They have three children.  Sean graduated in 2008 and like all college graduates, is underemployed at this time, and working in a coffee house in Seattle.  AJ graduated from PCC in 2011 and is going to the University of Washington.  Emily graduated from Lasalle in 2012 and is now attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Erich said his wife  is the best mom.  They moved their family to Arcadia in 1996.

Now they are empty nesters and Erich likes to play golf and tennis.  He has played Pebble Beach three times.  His newest hobby is flying airplanes.

This is the second time he has been involved with Rotary.  He was in the Pasadena East club and president 1996-97.  This is when Arcadia club member, Ernie Jensen was District Governor and they became acquainted at that time.

Erich brought his craft talk to a close by saying he was thrilled to be a member of  our club “The best Rotary Club in the world.”

Phyllis Corliss