By Adaire Hahn

A FATHER'S DAY STORY

Upon first meeting Winston, you may bump into him in a checkout line, restaurant or any other unassuming place, and not realize you are in the presence of a visionary. He doesn't put off an indigo Aura, or have attendees all in white, and only if you happen to be in the IT or Tech industry would you really grasp where his vision lies. He does not present himself in a self proclaiming manner, but in a manner that makes you instantly comfortable, and relaxed, like an old friend. I was twelve when I met Winston, and he was just starting to date my mom. He took my brother, mother and I on a “family date” so we could get to know him, and I just felt he was someone very special. He honored and cherished my mother in a way I had never seen before, and over many years, they have been so integral to shaping my vision of happiness.

Winston was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1951, an area known for fishing and whaling since the beginning of European Colonization. His childhood was not one of material riches, but relied heavily upon imagination and possibility. When all he could afford was imagination, a young Winston allowed much time mining this source.

Growing up in the 50s and 60s was a unique opportunity for a boy who never fancied himself as athletic, but loved to tinker with any electronics he could get his hands on. Fascinated by the machinations of toasters, old radios, and old phonographs, Winston would spend hours “tinkering.” He is a self described “geek” before “geeks were fashionable.” This was also an auspicious time for such a mind to be introduced to books his mother would get at the grocery store called “How and Wonder Why Books.” She would buy these books whenever they were available; it fed his insatiable appetite for new technologies.

Another global technology on the rise was space travel, and this fascinated Winston to no end. He collected every stat and factoid about the original astronauts like John Glenn to Alan Shepard, and even started a club with official membership cards for his friends. At home, the highest aspiration surrounding him was an industrial job, manufacturing, canning, or another assembly line employment. This is where most of the men in his family made their living; not many other opportunities were available.

As a senior in High School, Winston saw his first computer program in 1969. He recalls “a friend of mine was going to check out a technical school in Boston, Massachusetts, and I went along for the ride. I got hooked and signed up and by the fall of 1969 I was enrolled at age 17. We had a small apartment in Kenmore Square. In February of 1970, at age 18, I was working for State Street Bank and Trust. I would go to school during the day and work from 4pm to Midnight as a Computer Operator.”

Winston admired men who led by example in doing “the right thing.” His Grandfather was one of those men. He would tell us about how kind and gentle he was, and how he was never a rich man, but spent his entire life doing for others. Their smiles were his greatest rewards. He would also exclaim that his Grandfather had a wonderful sense of humor and I am sure this was all passed down through the man I call my Step-father today.

He was married young, which wasn't unusual and after two wonderful children and ten years, Winston and his first wife found they had different goals and dreams. His children lived with their mother on the East coast, while Winston traveled west to Colorado and started his own company called Annatek Systems.

He met my mother when he was around 32 and had the extra joy of becoming an instant father to a 13-year-old very precocious step-daughter and an equally challenging 9-year-old step-son, in addition to his own son and daughter who fit right between us in ages. My parents are now celebrating their 22nd anniversary. I asked him what his secret to a good marriage was; he responded with an assuring grin.

“I think it takes many things to have a good marriage, but most of all you must have good communication, a good level of trust and respect, and a great sense of humor. Marriage is not a destination, but a journey and I think that for a relationship to be successful you must travel well together both figuratively as well as literally. I feel truly fortunate to have the partner in life that I do and I don’t take that for granted for a single day.”

I'm sure frustration had to arise over the years given that we have watched him start his own computer company to joining many other companies, speak at engagements around the world, and write two books, and yet if any of his closest family members were to describe what he does, we are all struck dumb at the concept. His conceptual knowledge of PCs and their language of communication, compatibility, and standardization borders on the Savant, and yet, to us, he's still “Winston.”

Winston loves Sailing. We believe he was born with it in his blood from the days his ancestors used to go out fishing and hunting whales. He seems the most comfortable sailing, sharing a good book, or taking a course with my Mom on classical Hellenistic Greek or Celtic literature. His mind is fixed on the mysteries of the unknown. He will take Astronomy coursework just to expand his horizons, and his focus on the whole has shaped and stretched our own curiosities of what's truly possible when you do the right thing, and chase your dream.