Data on some people from a 90s' Website

This page is dedicated to our friends, and we hope it will grow over the years. The folks listed here aren't all of our friends, just the ones we had digital pictures of... so take no offense if we didn't include you here.

Some of these people have pages of their own, where that is the case, I have provided a link. The people listed here are in alphabetical order by last name. 'nuff said.

James P. Burke

This is my best friend James. He is quite the renaissance man, cooking, software design, and parenting are but a few of his many talents. I met James in 1985 at Southeastern Massachusetts University via the VAX. Just about everyone I met in college who ever mattered I met this way, including my wife!

A few years after we left college we were able to work together again, when James came to work for Xenergy. Now James works at the university with his wife and not a day goes by at work where I don't miss him. He's a good man--to know him is a pleasure, to be his friend, a privelege.

James is extremely bright, but in this picture he was valiantly losing at scrabble. You can see what fun he's having. "Yayyy." Like me he's into sci-fi & science fact, enjoys Star Trek (Captain James P. Burke... why does that sound so familiar?) and Macs. Unlike me he's interested in Martial arts and things Japanese, and is an all around cool guy. James Burke's Dark Web Pages of the Soul is a cool place to go, try it!

Margaret D. Burke

This is my other best friend, Margaret, and James' wife. I met Maggie only one day before I met James and in the same manner. Back in those days her surname was "Stone". I can recall many Friday afternoons where Maggie, James, Patty and me and our other friends would get together for pizza at Papa Ginos. Those were good times.

Nowadays Maggie is a brilliant software engineer, a talented homemaker, and a loving mother. She's into things Japanese, needlepoint, and taking care of their new baby, Katherine Moira Burke or Kit, shown at right.

Both Kit and Margaret have their own home pages. In fact this has earned them some notoriety, as an article recently appeared in the Providence Journal regarding Kit's Kids Page.

Donna M. Cokely

This lovely person is my sister Donna Cokely. She's my only sibling and seven years older than I, meaning that when we were kids we didn't relate much. Now that we're all grown up we get along great I'm happy to say. She's a wonderful person and a talented programmer. Donna married Arthur (Artie) Cokely a few years before I got married, and now they have a beautiful daughter, Natalie, my niece. Natalie was a cute baby, as you can see from the picture on the right. She's practically a toddler now...

When Pat and I got married in 1991, Donna was one of the bride's maids. This picture was taken then and she's still just as beautiful today.

Catherine T. Hayes-Gosselin

This laughing Irish is a friend I worked with for a few years at Xenergy. At that time she was an accomplished Net Goddess (a term used in our company to describe the Net Services team which at that time was composed of Catie, Karen, and Michelle.)

Catie was laid off from Xenergy during cutbacks, and went back to being a full time mother for her boy Eammon. She also did some work at NEC for awhile, but eventually left that and returned home. Within the past few days she has given birth to another baby boy, Padraig (Irish for "Patrick".) Catie is married to a very personable fellow named Robert, he's a great guy and fellow MST3K fan.

If I could pick only one word to describe Cate it would be "spunky", if I had two words they'd be "spunky" & "bizarre"! Cate's into U2 and gardening and is disgustingly talented in the arts and crafts department. She's kinda like a punk Martha Stewart, except that Cate is likable. She's sweet and well liked by her friends. This picture was taken during a birthday party which we threw for her at work a couple of years back. There were easily 20 or 30 people crammed into her office to wish her a happy birthday.

In the previous paragraph I had ORIGINALLY chosen the word "Jolly" to describe Cate, here's what she had to say about that:

     Chuck- I saw your web page thingie.  [...]  Jolly?  Got that

      makes me sound like a Fat Girl.  I'll have you know that I

      gave birth less than two weeks ago, and I have returned to my

      pre-prego weight buddy-boy!  Secondly, can I be Ms. August? 

      If it would help my chances, you could include that I'd love

      to spend a weekend with the members of the Pacific Fleet and/or

      Aerosmith, my pet peeves are stupid people and double knit

      slacks, and I love leather pants, Harleys and biceps...   Let

      me know if I make the cut.  Gotta run.

Cate, I'll be happy to declare you "Ms. August" of the Chux Friends Page. You win by default because nobody else entered the contest.

Thomas and Jennifer King

Tom is shown here with his wife, Jennifer, who is a very sweet and pleasant person. Tom himself is probably my oldest friend--we met in first grade.

When we were kids Tom and I did just about everything together, but the things we enjoyed most were playing Dungeons & Dragons, writing comedic skits and then recording them onto casette tape, and making fun of videos on MTV.

Tom and I went to separate high schools and colleges and grew apart in that time period. But we still get together occasionally and I do love spending time with him.

On Aug 10, Tom & I went to the MacWorld Expo in Boston and had a great time. We both picked up "Sensory Overload" (should be called "Sensing an Undie-load" because it stinks), and various other doodads. It was a good day for shopping and babewatching, but we both agreed that it was overly expensive. It cost $40 to get in at the door, and then snacks served at the expo were outrageously priced. I saw a woman buy an 8-ounce bottle of spring water for $3.25!!!

On Aug 26, Pat and I went to Tom and Jen's house for a BBQ and that was much fun!

Michael Leroux

This is my friend Mike, chatting over the fence at the pool in his apartment complex. I met Mike in college and hear from him occasionally. Back then he was a math major, I think, but I constantly cajoled him about switching over to CIS and eventually he did it.

Mike is an amicable, unassuming person with a very easygoing personality. He's a good listener, and getting better at his latest passion: darts. Why darts? I dunno... why am I into birding?

Mike's web page on ici.net is growing, and has the same pleasant and homey feel about it that Mike has about him. Check it out!

Mabel Liang

This is my friend and coworker Mabel Liang. Mabes has an odd mix of interests (computers, folk music, gardening)... in fact Mabel has an odd mix of everything. Its part of what defines her character. Mabel graduated from Princeton with a Masters Degree in Biology, then got her bachelors from Harvard in Engineering and Applied Physics, and now she works as a software engineer. Mabel is married to a cool guy named Bob Leigh who used to work for DEC.

She came to work at Xenergy just a few months before I did and she's one of the few folks I worked with then who are still around. While there she's proven herself to be a good programmer and a brilliant QA person. If there's a bug, Mabel will find it.

She's a sweet lady and I really like working/chatting with her. She always brings a fresh perspective to everything we do.

Bob had this to say about this entry:

Thanks for the coolness, but is my time at DEC my only notable accomplishment? Cmon, take a look at http://world.std.com/~bobleigh/, then make up something!Okay, Bob is responsible for the invention of the Wankle Rotary Engine, has saved the earth on multiple occasions, and talks through a teddy-bear handpuppet named "Meep" with alarming frequency.

Kendra Marks

Here's my bud, Kendra. This picture was taken at a company party which I did not attend. After she showed me this picture I was sorry I didn't go! Kendra doesn't usually dress in what we mutually call "girl clothes", and as you can see she's a knockout when she does.

Kendra's probably one of the most generous people I know. She'd always give you a shoulder to cry on, even if she had to surgically remove it and send it to you in the mail!

Ken and I have never worked on a project together but we often ate lunch together at work or went babe-watching at the mall. She's since left Xenergy and now works for Landis & Gyr Powers, Inc.

Manny J. Medeiros

This is my good friend Manny. Manny has many virtues in abundance, and above all of them he has character. He's a charming fellow, a capable chef, and an exceptional storyteller. I've often thought that he could make good money as a comedian or satirical columnist.

This picture was taken at a Chinese restaurant during my wife's 30'th birthday celebration.

I met Manny in college where he was studying virology, biochemistry, biology and God knows what else... all hard sciences. He now works in virus research and seems happy in his work. He's always got good stories to tell about it, that's for sure!

Manny's into scuba diving, hiking, reading, and zipping over the ocean on his wave-runner. Manny was also a regular at the Friday pizza dinner. I've enjoyed playing various RPG's with him and our other friends. Sometimes I think that Manny would be very happy to live in a romantic medieval setting with knights and castles and dragons to slay. He would probably make a good king or explorer. He has the heart of an adventurer.

Catherine Owens

Catherine is a friend of mine from work who didn't want her picture on the internet. I've worked for Catherine for the past two years and have come to enjoy her bubbly personality and her sensitivity.

Catherine has worked as a project manager and a technical writer and also has done some work in the health industry. She and her husband David recently bought a lovely home and when she's not slaving away at work she's there working in her garden or landscaping.

Catherine has a terrific laugh which is highly infectious, as well as some phrases which are unique to her. One is "Mwawww" which is somehow appropriate when she uses it to express sympathy, and the other is "Oh X, Dear X." X is usually the name of the person she's speaking to at the time. She's extremely intelligent and well able to turn a phrase in a new way, and generally just a nice person to spend time with.

Psssst! Cath is also a recently out-of-the-closet Star Trek fan!

Debbie Pinto

Here's Deb Pinto, another friend we don't see enough of, soaking up the sun on a beach in New Bedford. This was taken on a summer day a few years back when Deb, Mike, the Burkes, Pat, myself, and Manny were all together, trying out Manny's wave-runner (which I thought was pretty scary, but everyone else seemed to enjoy.) I guess I don't have the heart of an adventurer!

Deb is originally from South Africa and has a cool accent. She's also a very interesting person who has a strange sense of humor and hates to be called "Deborah".

Douglas & Lois

Seggelin

Good old Mom & Dad!

I'm happy to say that I have a great relationship with my parents, and they are good friends to me too. My Dad heads up hi-tech projects at an audio/visual electronics firm called Lexicon in Waltham. They build synthesizers and all sorts of equipment used by musicians and television stations. Cool stuff. When he's not at work Dad's DXing on his shortwave radio. He's been trying to pick up stations from every country in South America, because apparently that's one of the hardest continents to do. You should see his radio room, it looks like an Eisenhower war room with big maps on the walls with little colored pins stuck in them.

My Mom is self employed and owns her own accounting firm Accurate Accounting Help. My sister Donna also works for AAH since she had her baby. When Mom isn't working, she's probably out running or working in her yard. Mom is quite the athlete, having even run the Boston Marathon as an official participant on a few occasions.

Patricia L. Seggelin

I'd probably be in big trouble if I didn't list my wife as one of my bestest friends, how fortunate for me that its true!

The photo on the left was taken at The Raptor Center in Vermont when we were on a camping trip with the Burkes. The one on the right was taken when we had been dating for a few months. Patty is just as beautiful to me now as she was then, and I can't imagine anyone else I'd rather spend forever with.

Michelle Sherillo

Ah Michelle! A former coworker and a good friend. Michelle oftened lunched with James and I when we all worked together. We always had a lot of fun. She seemed to take great pleasure in embarassing my friend James, which was much easier than embarassing me!

Michelle was one of the Net Goddesses for awhile before she moved on to other projects. Now she works for a software company called Novasoft.

Shells is into basketball and working out, as well as poetry. She is also quick witted and never fails to make me laugh. As you can see from these pictures, she is a very beautiful lady. The picture on the right was a recent gift from her to me, apparently she went to one of those glamour shops that will doll you up and then snap pix. The picture on the left was taken at Xenergy during Catie's birthday party a few years back.

I have a confession to make to Michelle... during the Halloween season before she left Xenergy, she kept a cardboard skeleton with movable arms and legs hanging on her wall. For several days in a row, after she left to go home, I would make cut-out clothing for the skeleton and dress it up. Each costume included racy undergarments, and each succeeding costume became more and more elaborate. The first outfit was a pair of yellow shorts and a pink T-shirt that said "Kiss Me, I'm Dead." The last outfit was a shiny red evening gown (I used shiny red plastic glued onto cardboard, which was supposed to represent satin) covered with gold and silver sequins with an ornament made of red feathers. Other outfits included a flowery summer dress, a woman's naval uniform, and a cat-suit with a tail. Each outfit came with a card explaining that it was the latest fashion in Zombiewear, and explained with terrible puns in the style of a fashion column how wonderful this particular ensemble was. Usually each one ended with a trendy advertising slogan like "Don't be caught dead without it." or something.

I never admitted being the perpetrator of this gag, but I don't know why... just to be difficult I guess. Besides, it was fun to watch her try to guess who it might be. Anyway, the secret's out now, I did it Michelle! And I'd do it again!

Andrew Siwko

This is my bud, Andrew, whom I occasionally call "Drew-Man" without his permission. He's a very smart guy and technically adept. I often have trouble keeping up with Andrew.

This picture was taken in my old office in the midst of a very hectic project... he looks a tad tired, don't you think? We all looked pretty tired, be sure!

Andrew enjoys reading mysteries, and watching Friends and The X-files. He formerly worked and occasionally does work for a family owned company called Contranautics, which makes all sorts of nifty stuff. Right now they're working on some sort of high tech video capture board for PC's.

July 14, 1995 was Andrew's last day at Xenergy, he has found a great opportunity in North Carolina, and I will miss him sorely. If you're reading this, Drew-Man, don't forget to write! Andrew has a homepage on Ultranet.

A. Joseph Torre

This is Joe Torre, a jovial man of deep feelings, who was a great friend to Pat and I back in college. Sadly we don't see enough of Joe. This picture was taken at our wedding in 1991, Joe is watching someone else catch the garter. Apparently he didn't need to because he ended up getting married anyway! :)

Recently my wife's sister Barbara got married, and Joe was a guest at the wedding with his new wife Julie, a very friendly lady. They made a very cute couple and I hope we get to see more of them.

Elizabeth Volpicelli

My newest dear friend, Elizabeth! She is shown here on her back porch in Harwich, Cape Cod, petting her appreciative pussycat, Fuzzy. The disembodied limb lying on the bench is a device she is using to teach the birds in her yard to handfeed.

Elizabeth is an amazing woman, a sort of "Jane of All Trades." In addition to being an accomplished web developer (see The Cape Cod Connection), she plays the viola, writes poetry, and constructs beautiful miniature quilts. In only a couple months time she has become an excellent (not to mention tenacious) bird watcher (or birder.)

Our work on the web brought us together, to whit, I became interested in knowing her by studying her website and vice versa. When we finally met and went birding together it was wonderful! Pat, Elizabeth and I stomped around some of Cape Cod's better birding sites and had a terrific time. We found that Elizabeth and her husband, Frederick, also like Star Trek and a lot of the same music and authors that we like.

I personally can't wait until we get to go down and visit Elizabeth again, but 'till then I can always count on her for witty, thoughtful, and charming e-mail conversation. Here's to a fabulous new friend! :)

The Cape Cod Connection is a big place, but my favorite spot is The Harwich Backyard Birdfeeder, which is where Elizabeth keeps a record of all her birding experiences.

Karen Wright

Finally we have Karen, the lean queen of the hula scene. Karen's a wonderful person to be around, because she's got a great attitude toward life: be who you are man, and like it.

Karen is a licensed massage therapist and knows how to hula dance, to boot! She visits Hawaii often and even speaks some Hawaiian. This picture was taken during a company Halloween Party where Karen came as a Hula Dancer... which isn't very scary when you think about it... not that I'm complaining!

Karen is the only one of the original three Net Goddesses who still works at Xenergy, though she only works three or four days a week. The rest of the week she spends self-employed as a massage therapist. She gives excellent backrubs!

February 8, 1996 -- Black Thursday

Chux  Pages

last modified 8-Dec-1995, --C. Seggelin.