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Leonard Pumphrey
After graduating from high school, I lived at home and attended George Mason University.
It took me forever to graduate (not that I cared),
graduated with a degree in history. I am still associated with GMU
as I am a long time season ticket holder for their men's basketball team
(2006 was an unbelievable run).
While attending college, I applied for a job with the CIA. After months
of background checking, I became a member of the world's finest intelligence
agency. I did many things the many years I worked there. Many I cannot
tell, but of those I can the most interesting was being a political
analyst. Most of that part of the career I dealt with European
countries, mostly in the Baltics, but not exclusively there.
Come July I will have been married 30 years. I have a son who
will be 26, who works for My Plumber in northern Va. (shameless
plug alert: If you need plumbing done call the company and ask for
Craig Pumphrey, I know he is good at what he does). My daughter,
who will be 23 this May, is graduating from Eastern Kentucky University
and plans to move to Nashville, her goal is to get into the music industry
and or eventually getting involved with NASCAR.
Since retiring from the CIA, I have gotten my teaching degree, and for
the last 6 years I have been a teacher. The last 4 I have been
with Manassas Christian School as their middle school social studies
and writing teacher. I love the teaching part. I am not too
keen on the discipline part.
My wife and I have just become proud grandparents. (see them)
My son and his
wife had their first child on February 16. I have included a
picture of us with the baby on the day she was born.
I have kept in touch with some of the FCHS gang over the
years. I hope to see more in the years to come.
Latest family picture
Updated bio:
Graduated GMU
1976-2001 Worked at CIA many duties. Favorite one was being an Imagery Analyst.
2001-2003 Substitute teacher in City of Manassas.
2003-2005 4th grade teacher city of Manassas
2005-2014 middle school Social Studies teacher Manassas Christian School.
2014-2019 A life coach for an autistic teen.
2019 retired.
Hobbies and activities
Deacon at my church
Great trip planner and go on 3 or 4 great trips a year.
Organizer of the yearly Falls Church High School Band return to Orkney band camp
Leonard
After high school Ron and Barbara both attended Virginia Tech. After graduating from college, we married in December 1977. Ron became an FBI Agent and Barb an elementary school teacher. We remained in Fairfax County until Ron was transferred to Roanoke, VA in 1991, a great place to live and raise a family. Ron has since retired from the FBI and is currently operating a small home improvement business. Barb is still teaching but plans to retire in a few years. We have two daughters, Brittany 24, who graduated from Virginia Tech and is in her second year of law school at Tulane University and Meredith who is a freshman at Virginia Tech.
As I may have mentioned before, I've been traveling the world on new embassy projects, and just returned from Pakistan. However, I'm just settling-in for a new gig here at the Pentagon.
After, and even some during school, I came up through the construction trade here in the DC Metro/East Coast area, doing bridge demolitions and nautical navigation. That led to a marine contractor position doing various contracted demo work during the Viet Nam era.
Upon my return, I put myself through university, since my parents didn't have the money to pay for all 6 of us kids. After completely unused triple-majors in college, I got into Project Management, QC and Safety on Corps of Engineers jobs, and was Captain of a Confined Space Rescue Team at Fort Belvoir, where I found myself helping FEMA during the 9/11 attacks.
Before 9/11 I had gone to a federal agency, where I made the transition from Environmental Safety & Health management, to Emergency Evacuation Operations, Disaster Prep, and Anti-terror work.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the transition into fulltime anti-terror and security seemed like a logical career move. I left the agency and was registered as a Personal Services Contractor (PSC) for DHS, where I conducted Title III Surveillance for an investigative bureau. Continuing as a PSC, I managed Site Security at various State Dept New Embassy Compound Projects. My most recent contract was as a Construction Surveillance Tech (CST) at the BRAC/NGA relocation project back at Fort Belvoir.
As far as my side interests, I’ve been involved in fast water rescue for my local fire & rescue department. I lived on my sailboat for a year before I went to Africa, and enjoy boating and water sports of all kinds. I played in various bands (mostly Blues, but some Classic Rock, Jazz, and Reggae too). Since my Dad flew planes in his military life, I was introduced at a very early age and have enjoyed flying small aircraft since ground school at 17, and look forward to buying my own plane soon.
Despite my seemingly rough background, I've remained somewhat of an academic. I’m still very interested in the Sciences with 3 temporary patents, with 7 more yet to submit. I have five unfinished books (on various subjects) three of which are ready for publishing.
I didn't get married until 44, divorced at 52, but have two great little kids out of it all, whom I see about every other week. I plan to retire in two years, and maybe teach at one of the universities out west.
That’s probably much more of a chronology than you can use, but it was the only way I could make any sense out of my disconnected and hectic life.
Later, JW
