The Spirit and Vision of “Guille 63”
A tribute to Guillermo Alberto San Román (under construction)
Guillermo Alberto San Román was born on November 26, 1928 in the port city of Bahia Blanca, in the southwest of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. He was the youngest of four children born to Raul and Eulogia. His siblings were Raul (Polo), Alfredo (QQ) and Blanca.
He spent his early years living in Bahia Blanca and subsequently in Tandil before moving to La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires Province. There he attended his beloved Colegio Nacional (Junior and High schools) and from there attends La Universidad Nacional de La Plata where he received degrees in Civil & Hydraulic engineering in 1953.
Before completing his education he serves a mandatory year (1952) in the army. He is stationed at Campo de Mayo where he spent his days crawling in and out of Sherman tanks and his nights in the mess hall cooking for his fellow conscripts.
MORE INPORTANTLY he falls madly in love with a dancer by the name of Gloria Marina Perusin who would soon become his wife, the mother of their 4 sons and as time has borne out, his lifelong soulmate. Dancer, Choreographer and Director of a dance school (La Original Escuela de Ballet) in La Plata…Gloria remains at his side till the very end.
April 7, 1953: The Wedding Day OF GASR and Gloria Marina (A TUESDAY)!!!
He goes on to work for his father’s firm which is feeling the economic pressures imposed on business owners by the corruption and ideals of President Juan Peron’s rule (1946-1955). Although Peron is overthrown in 1955 and exiled to Paraguay, Argentina continues on a path of unstable leadership fueled by worsening governmental corruption.
Circa 1960, “Guille” now at the helm of his father’s business, begins to realize that Argentina is becoming a banana republic in which businesses rise and fall based on their political orientation and “contributions to the cause” (bribery).
Things worsen when in 1962-63 a semi-truck loaded with expensive equipment and supplies needed to complete one of his government contracts crashes and rolls down a steep ravine killing the driver and costing the firm hundreds of thousands of dollars which were yet to be collected from the government. Adding fuel to the fire, the government on hand is overthrown and the new government is all too happy to renew his permits for “a contribution” (BRIBE!!!).
“Gloria we have to go…” “Our children will go nowhere here and they will spend the rest of their lives hitting brick walls…” The Spirit and vision of “Guille 63” is born…
He sells the remnants of his business, sells our house, cars and furniture. Pays his workers, pays his debt and at the suggestion of a friend (Calvo) he comes to New York (Corona, Queens) in July of 1963.
At the age of 34 he comes alone, leaving behind everything and everyone he knows, vowing never to return other than to visit family.
Two hundred dollars in his pocket and needing to make ten times that to emigrate his young wife and four small sons, he begins working for Iberia Airlines Cargo at JFK/Idlewild making minimum wage ($1.25/hour). He works as an “accountant” and breaks all of Iberia Airline’s overtime records in a few short months.
November 22, 1963 President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
December 23, 1963 The Comet (Brasilia, San Paulo, Trinidad, New York) 17 hours…Uncle Gerry, the fly-by, the next day…
Junction Boulevard: The Cow, The Herald Tribune, “The Guest” (QQ), The Original 10…
Rego Park: PS 206, Halsey Jr High School, Forest Hills HS
Iberia Airlines/Manhattan College…Hydrotechnic Corporation
The Trailer, Saratoga Springs (Tennis), the Shirley House
The decision: Rego Park vs Shirley (LAID OFF)
LAID OFF…SO I’ll just learn FRENCH!!!
La Casona (1974-2018)
The climb at Hydrotechnic/the patents
Adelphi/Medical School X 4!!! (“Be your own boss…Do NOT become an engineer”).
The wives
The grandchildren
There is so, so much more to say…It’s truly a never ending story that we should know and carry with us as we venture into the four corners of the earth…
A remarkable, unique man, a great mentor and an unwavering friend. I will miss him dearly for the rest of my life.
Chau Viejo!
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