Gary Philip Guido
Being born during WWII to Italian-American parents in Schenectady New York an industrial City, I can remember military equipment being built and tested on the streets where we lived. My mother worked for both American Locomotive and General Electric on secret war projects and was highly educated. My father was at that time working as a sand blaster for General Electric. My mother wanted me to have a good education and I was enrolled in St. Joseph’s Catholic School where I spent several years. Mother was an avid reader and would shape my education by having me read the classics such as: Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Count of Monte Cristo and many others. I was also introduced to Greek mythology and the works of Homer at a very young age. Reading was my escape and I could visualize myself in many of the novels I read. Eventually I went to public school, but unfortunately, left before graduating to join the military. After my discharge I returned to Schenectady and married. I also returned to school at night to receive my High School Diploma. Our marriage produced four boys who were joined over the years by four girls we took in. As a youth I was a Boy Scout and continued as an adult volunteer. Scouting is a passion of mine and I am still active. I volunteered with the American Red Cross as a First Aid Instructor and with our local YMCA as a SCUBA teacher. I became affiliated with a children’s home and became a member of the Board. Working a plethora of jobs to support my growing family from driving big rigs to operating equipment, as well as doing electrical and plumbing work I continued my education through Empire State College and earned an MBA and MSW over the course of several years. It was around this time I became Chairman of the Board for a group of homes for abused and neglected children, a position I held for many years.
Eventually, I became Chief Executive Officer for the facility and after many years at the helm I retired. Living in the northeast with its cold winter climate my wife Susan and I decided to move to Florida for the winter months in 1999. Presently we live on North Merritt Island in Central Florida.
Writing was not new to me when I wrote a trilogy about the animals on our camp property in Ticonderoga that is in the Northeastern section of New York State. Over the years I had written manuals and long range plans for work and the Boy Scouts of America where I volunteered for over half a century. The trilogy was written for my three youngest Granddaughters who live in Colorado and Southern Florida. It was at the urging of a good friend who is a College Professor and accomplished author that I decided to have the works published. After much thought I did give in and now people from every corner of the Country and as far away as Australia are reading my stories. As an author of children’s books I try to use nature to capture the imagination of the reader. It is my hope my books will give children a love for God’s creations. My latest book The Summer The Sky Turned Gray was written with this in mind.
My hobbies include woodworking and volunteering my time helping others with projects as well as writing. My beliefs are Christian and I try to adhere to its values. My wife Susan and I spend our winters in Merritt Island Florida and summers in the Adirondack Mountains of New York near the Town of Ticonderoga.
