Lyle Castle

It’s a little hard to believe it has been 40 years! When I see the signs around here giving Congratulations to the class of 2009, it reminds me that it really has been 40 years.

I’ve been blessed to be married to my High School sweetheart, Cindy Dwight from Springfield, SD for 35 years. Earlier this year we celebrated 41 years since our first date. Naturally she remembers the dates better than I do. We have two kids, Alexis (Lexi) and Tyler, and now three grandkids, all girls, Aylie 22 months, Briella 3 months, and Madelyn 2 months.

Everyone lives in the Chicago area and we are avid fans of the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawk’s, Cubs, (Cindy, Lexi and probably Brie), White Sox, (Lyle, Tyler and now Aylie). I think this Cubs/Sox thing could get more interesting as time goes by…Aylie really is a Sox fan, so this should be fun. We just celebrated our first Fathers’ Day where all the guys qualified.

We still have the same software business we have been involved with for 20 years. We have a niche product in a niche market, but we have developed a solid reputation for delivering a good product, and we have great people on staff. I still enjoy the business, even the travel, OK not the 6 hour storm delay in Hartford, but most of it, so I don’t see retiring any time soon. Cindy and I talked about it this spring and I think she was freaked with the idea of me with nothing to do. Cindy has been a substitute teacher for years, but when she got an opportunity to teach full time, she jumped at it. She is now tenured and will probably teach for the next couple of years, the kids and parents love her.

I have been involved with Men’s International Missions for over 10 years. Mostly we work on children’s homes or church’s; this year we have trips going to Costa Rica, Baja Mexico, Belize, and Haiti. It has been an incredibly rewarding part of my life.

Sometimes I listen to channel 6 on Syris, the “60’s” radio station. The kids tell me you have to really be old to listen to that…they have even bought me some current CD’s and the music isn’t bad, but it’s not the same. I know it’s a bit of escapism to listen to the old tunes, but was there better music? The Temptations, Aretha, and the Stones, yes, it has been 40 years, but was there ever a better time to grow up?
Look forward to seeing you at the reunion…Lyle and Cindy Castle