Max Pettibone

The 1961 "Skipper"	September, 1998

Max headed off to the University of Michigan after graduation and earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Following graduation, Max served in the U.S. Army. Most of his tour was spent running the US operation of a German missile base. His close working relationship with the Luftwaffe helped him pick up the German language and provided many fond memories of the German people and a deep appreciation of Europe.

Upon returning to the United States, Max began work on an MBA at Penn State University, completing the degree in 1970. He met his future wife, Cynthia (Cindy) Lachat Gray, and her son, Rick, while at Penn State and they were subsequently married in Virginia in 1973. Rick soon became a Pettibone via adoption. Max and Cindy then went on to have three daughters – Lisa, Amy, and Laurie in 1981, 1983, and 1986 respectively while Cindy pursued an accounting career with the U.S. Navy.

The second largest business (after the US Government) in the Washington D.C. area is construction and land development. Max noticed this and decided to jump into that arena and start his own business, Pettibone and Johnson Construction Company, with his partner, Jesse Johnson. The business flourished and soon was diversified into all phases of land development and construction. Bending with the ebb and flow of the economic cycles, Max successfully diversified into several other related real estate investments and opportunities.

In his spare time, Max still plays a lot of adult hockey with friends who are coincidentally ex-Buffalonians. He has long been an avid fan of the Washington Capitals team of the NHL, but the Buffalo Bills are still his favorite NFL team (Can’t stand those Redskins). Over the years, deep-sea fishing has been a favorite activity of Max’s, and he has even had the opportunity to go after yellow-fin tuna with ex-RHS buddies, Charlie Spencer and Bill Marble.

As the business world lost some of its challenge, Max has focused his energy on his teenage daughters. Lisa has completed her freshman year at NYU, where she is studying to be a film director. Amy is both an excellent student and an outstanding hockey player. She was recently selected to the Southeast Regional Women’s “19 & Under” Team. She also is the only female on her high school hockey team. Lori is in 9^th grade. She plans to do a summer study program at the University of North Carolina that includes a Student Ambassador trip to Australia.

On the down side, Max lost both of his parents in the last two years and, since he was an only child, it has been a somewhat difficult period of adjustment for him.  Things are looking up though, and Max is looking forward to the Reunion and more traveling to see new places and old friends.