Tim Conroy 

The question which has entered the minds of some who have met both of them is, “Which of these native Bostonians has the most pronounced accent—Harry Christenson or Tim Conroy?”  Like Harry, Tim calls Boston his hometown, but perhaps it is his traveling around the country which has allowed him to lose or at least suppress the accent to some degree.  Tim recalls some connection with the Knights of Columbus back home in the Boston area where ‘Everybody joined the Knights’ though it seems as if the Knights sponsored some sort of social club to which many men belonged.  He remembers a lot of drinking at some of their affairs due to really cheap drink prices, but also remembers that there were very few activities.  Yet, out on the East Coast the Church is everything to many people, a real family organization and Tim recalls involvement in numerous activities ranging from altar server to choir to bingo.

 

His involvement in the Knights in a more formal manner began with running into “Jim (Barnett) at the gym.”  Although his work as a truck driver keeps him on the road most of the time and he has found it difficult to make any of the meetings of the Council, he has taken part in a limited number of activities, usually on the weekends when he is in town.  He recognizes the fact that Council 10243 is certainly an active group, and he hopes the future will give him the opportunity to become more involved in the life of the Council.

 

Though Tim was born in Boston, his father was involved in a lobster business and the family lived in Ireland for several years with the business.  Very proud of his Irish heritage and reminiscent of the time he spent there, Tim holds both U.S. and Irish citizenship and is in the process of obtaining an Irish passport.  After returning to the United States and finishing college, Tim went to California where he was a Police Officer in San Diego for five years.  Following some time in a human resources position, which he found rather boring, he remembers talking to a former cop who had gotten into truck driving.  It sounded interesting to him, and so began his time with Schneider and a position he has held for nearly five years now.  His usual route during the week is a run which originates in Green Bay and makes its way to Atlanta and then on to Texas before returning to the Green Bay area.  He has been in every State and has traveled all over California.  He has come to enjoy life on the road, and appreciates the fact that he has been able to see a lot of sights as a result of his moving about the country.  Since the truck is on the road most of the time, the average day involves being behind the wheel or resting or sleeping while his partner drives.  Trucks are almost like RV’s and drivers enjoy numerous comforts on the road including a cab with a CD player and a refrigerator.  All in all, it makes the time on the road go a bit more quickly.  His usual load is paper and he has come to appreciate being on a ‘dedicated route.’ 

 

His time on the road has also given him an appreciation for Southern cooking, though he also likes the home cooked delicacies served up by “Mrs. B.”  (Marilyn Barnett)  His family is all back East; his father is retired from Amtrak and his family includes five boys and a girl.  All his brothers are engineers.  Though his involvement has had to be minimal in the Knights in the past, Tim hopes eventually to get into the office at Schneider which will enable him to put down some firmer roots.  That will allow for deeper involvement in the Council.  It will be a pleasure to welcome him into the fuller life of the Council.

 

July 1999