Timothy Louis STRUDELL

   General Notes:

SOURCE
Genealogy Questionnaire Timothy L STRUDELL Jun 2001.

MEMORIES
Grandparents- Richard Louis Strudell & Magdalene Strudell.

First, Grandma Strudell made the best biscuits in the world. She was the best cook that side of the family and was always warm and full of hugs.

As for Grandpa, I remember him helping me learn how to read the stock pages of the newspaper when I was ten years old. I think it was then that I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. And today I am in the investment industry as a retirement counselor and asset manager. Grandpa was a trust officer and vice president of the bank. We were two of a kind.

Parents- Richard Louis Strudell & Lorna Thorne Strudell. Too many memories. They have been great parents, taking us on driving/camping trips across the United States, always dressing up with us on Halloween, doing science tricks, magic tricks, showing us we really can do anything if we want. But not to be overly vague...

With my Dad I remember best playing tennis with him. Him taking me across the street to elementary school when I was a little kid and showing me how to hold the racket and swing. He told me he played when he was in school- so for me, that was it, I was going to be a tennis player, too. The time out on the court with him was better than any of the matches that I won. I got good, but never as good as when I was across the net from him.

With my Mom, I think the best memory was a funny one that I can still picture in my mind. Coming home from elementary school, across the street from our house, when I was maybe seven or eight years old, I learned that moms do change sometimes. The door opened as I walked up the sidewalk under the huge ash trees. A strange, tall, lady with short, very tightly curled hair and a big smile full of metal braces was at the door, coming at me with her arms opened. I looked left and right quickly checking that I was at the right house- the neighbors' homes were where they should be. Check. Our trees. Check. The car in the driveway. Check. The red bricks and big living room window. Check. So, who the heck was this lady hugging me now? Oh, Mom? What the heck happened to you? She had cut her long black hair, got a perm and a color change after she had been to the dentist for her new braces. Whew, you could have told me.

Siblings-
Sally Anne Strudell. 'Wonder Twin Powers...Activate'. Sally will understand that. We aren't really twins. She's two and a half years younger, but we've always been about the same height and have stuck together as best friends all these years. Best memory- Being together on stage, dancing, tapping and taking center stage every time. Even though I was nervous most of the time because I was the only boy out there, I knew I had Sally next to me to help put on a show. I can't believe I was up there dancing like that, but it made me who I am today- not shy, ready to get up in front of people and act if I have to. Another memory that I have to add- Keeping each other up trying to catch Santa Claus by using our walkie talkies. We hid under the covers, in our separate rooms, and tried talking to each other all night to stay awake. It didn't work, but it was a great try.

Elementary School- Wiltshire Elementary, right across the street from our house. We had the best front yard in the neighborhood. Fifth grade fun day. The whole school is out to watch the fifth graders take on the teachers in the traditional kick ball game. I'm the pitcher. Tina Willis, my 'girlfriend' runs out to the pitcher's mound before the game starts and gives me a kiss (wow). I 'faint', spinning once or twice before letting my knees give out and flumped to the dirt. Everyone cheers. I shake it off, get up, smile, and take a bow. That was a great day.

High School- MacArthrur High School. Graduating Class of 1987. Best memory- I did a loot so rather than pick the best memory, I think the one that no one else will forget is more appropriate. High School Prom. My best female friend and part time girl friend was Kim MacIntyre. She was barely five foot tall, but was very much the woman in shape and form. She was beautiful. She wore a white strapless dress that fit a bit tight at the tope, but it had to in order to hold up the bell skirt and seven layers of petticoat ruffles below. I was already six foot tall and pretty darn thin wearing a light gray tuxedo. We didn't start off dancing because she was not a 'fast song' dancer. We were waiting for a nice slow song. Plus we wanted to sit and talk on one of our last dates ever, and she was afraid if she jumped up and down too much she might lose her dress. Finally, a slow song. Most of the dance floor cleared out- as most high school dances do when a slow song starts. So we walk out, the lights dim, I hold out my arms, almost everyone is looking at us, she steps up to me, and on the first step, I somehow catch the bottom of her dress with the toe of my shoe. I think it was because she was going backwards and took a small five foot tall step, and I took a forward six foot tall step. Whatever the reason, the top half of her dress was suddenly around her waist. She was, well, shapely; embarrassed, but shapely. The girls in the room mostly let out shrieks. The guys let out whoops and cheers. It was a night no one would ever forget.

College- Trinity University
Best memory- Running the school radio station (classical and jazz). Waking up at 4:30 Monday through Friday to get up and sign on before 6 AM. Scheduling music, training students on how to run the equipment, helping when someone froze when the microphone went on (sometimes they'd forget to breathe). The best of the best was Saturday Night Jazz. From 10 PM to 2 AM playing jazz and blues, having some of my best friend co-host, or bringing dates into the station and letting them 'speak on the air', or just hanging out by myself, in what felt like MY radio station. I did that for three and a half of my four years there. That was as comfortable and happy as I have ever been.

Military Service-
USAA Insurance and Investments. I never served. But the training and discipline of USAA and the strong military presence within these hallways and among the management is a great experience.

Spouse- Evgenia Voskresenskaya Strudell, Born 11 Oct 1970, Moscow Russia. Married 25 Jul 1991, Austin Texas. She was the first Russian exchange student at Trinity University. And she was a student of economics. That was my major. I really just wanted to meet her. Several of my professors had been to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe as advisors already. Study of Russian/Soviet changes was a major topic among the Econ Dept. So, she was popular even before any of us met her. But when we did, she struck more than my intellectual curiosity. I had studied Soviet maps, history, religion, but nothing really prepared me for love at first sight. It was. December 18, 1990, a large group of us, including the new Russian girl, went down to San Antonio's Riverwalk. We all met in one of the school parking lots. Just the first sight of her made me lose my breath and I, never at a loss for words (ask my family), went blubbering blank for a moment. Once we were down at the river, i recovered my senses, and I learned just by talking that one night, this was my life long obsession sitting across the table from me. Our next date wasn't until March 1991, but by July, I knew I couldn't live without her. When I asked her if she would marry me, she squealed, and jumped up and down smiling a huge smile and then hugged me, still jumping up and down in my arms. Talk about a 'YES'. We have been happily married for ten years now. As for a memory beyond the wedding bells- I knew she could do anything. She has the brains, the talent, and the luck to pull just about anything off. So, we're on a business trip in the US Virgin Isles to help a Russian company investigate why their passenger ships, high speed hydrofoils, are not doing as much business as they had expected. First, the fact that we were on a business trip to the Virgin Isles was enough to be thankful for having this wonderful wife. But, when the captain of the 135 foot long hydrofoil asked her if she'd like to try piloting the ship across from St Croix to St Thomas, I thought he was joking. I mean, this thing shoots across the tops of the waves at 60-70 miles per hour on little 'wings'. He wasn't joking. She had the helm, and took us up to full throttle, doing slalom left and right, banking hard, coming around straight- she was having fun, and I was having a heart attack. After we were safely docked and at the local French Town bar, drinking it off, we all gave her a toast for the best ride of that boat's life. Before that I was impressed by her. After that, I was in awe.

CHILDREN
Alexandra 'Sasha' Lorna Strudell- Born 11 Mar 1993 Moscow Russia;
Nadezhda 'Nadya' Allison Strudell- Born 21 May 1997 San Antonio Texas- the first official Texan in the family (Ye-Haw! and all that stuff).

PROFESSION
The experience of a lifetime came when I worked and lived in Moscow for a year. Jenia (Evgenia) was finishing up her degree at the Russian Academy of Economics. I was lucky enough to be asked to join a Russian import-export company. The five partners, who also luckily spoke English, were all former diplomatic corps for the Soviets. The senior partner, and now my long time old friend, Alex, was for many years the Soviet Conciliate to the United States and loved Washington DC. The other partners were: Vladimir- a big, clumsy guy with a huge heart and red cheeks; Vladaslov, my officemate who served in Poland, Germany and England and whose dark blue suit and black tie had been with him on all assignments; Yuri, the youngest partner; and Boris, the giant from Siberia. We had a cook, who fed us well and kept the kitchen warm. The drivers were great. The office exported steel, oil, gold, heavy machinery, etc. We imported, well, anything. Oil skimmers and hazmat suits to help clean up the environment, orange juice, chickens, and tennis shoes for factory towns to give or sell to the employees. There was nothing that was out of our range. We just had to focus on one contract at a time, follow international trade laws, and let luck and good negotiating skills do the rest.

CAREER
But that was only a year. I've been with USAA now for going on seven years. I am one of the pilot members of the company's Retirement Service Center. We've been expanding the program for over two years now. I am a CRPC (Certified Retirement Planning Counselor) and an AAMS (Accredited Asset Management Specialist). I have my Bachelor's and Master's inn Economic Analysis and a second degree in Environmental Sciences. I was one class short of a minor in Religion, but I've always been one step short of being an angel, so what's new? What I do mostly is help people 1) plan for retirement, 2) analyze if they can retire, and 3) keep themselves comfortable in retirement. Internally we are also the company's resource for other employees on retirement issues, regulations, IRS rules, plans, and planning. We help people on the outside, and train others to help them here on the inside. We are constantly learning and teaching. It's a fun job.

HOBBIES
Gardening & Landscaping- Never a dull moment around our front or back yard.
Juggling- Clubs, balls, bags, anything that can be thrown into the air and caught.
Geography- Study maps with a passion.
Music- Study classical and Jazz mostly. I don't play a note, but know the history and styles.
Science- Young Mr Wizard in the home. Just like my Dad. Always doing experiments, having my kids catch bugs and frogs, mixing kitchen chemicals. Keeping the rest of the family on their toes. Science should be fun.
Reading- I am an avid reader, especially archeological mysteries, studies of religion, and history (mostly of medieval Europe and Asia).
Tennis- One of these days I'll pick up the racket again.

ORGANIZATIONS
Family, work, garden, quiet meditation.

EMAIL
Timothy L Strudell- 18 Jun 2001
"...I could send a digital photo of the family if you like as well. I forgot about the photo you have on the site, and I remember that day well. I miss the long hair, too. Maybe I'll grow it back now that I have seniority here at USAA...Thanks again for putting us on the map..."

ADDL SOURCE
Genealogy Questionnaire Richard L STRUDELL Jr Dec 2000.

   Marriage Information:

Timothy married Evgenia VOSKRESENSKAYA, daughter of Alexander VOSKRESENSKAYA, on 25 Jul 1991 in Austin, , Texas, USA. (Evgenia VOSKRESENSKAYA was born on 11 Oct 1970 in Moscow, , Russia.)