Q&A

How Well Do You Know Fellow Club Member Denis Washington?

(Denis suggested I pick and choose from of his answers to include in the newsletter, but I chose to include all of them and let you all choose which you prefer to read.)

Tell us about your family.

I am the oldest child in my family. Mary and I are parents of three young men, Roderick, Brandon and Jared, and we have two grandchildren, Amaya and Myles.

What are your favorite places you have visited (can be within the U.S. and/or outside of the U.S.)?

Napa Valley, CA; Martha’s Vineyard and San Francisco.

What are your pet peeves?

I shutter at the sound of flip flops or similar footwear worn by employees in the workplace. I enjoy the perfect pairing of food and wine. I choose to keep my weekends open to me and my family.

What are your favorite foods?

Pork Chops, chicken & dumplings, deviled eggs, and blueberry pancakes.

Have you ever received an award for anything, and if so, what?

2011 - Leadership Texarkana – Idalee Hawkins Leadership Award

2011 - C.E. Palmer Achievement Award for Civic Service

What is a funny incident or awkward situation that has happened to you?

Once while trying to take a shortcut and beat team members back to the clubhouse at the conclusion of a golf scramble, I managed to get the golf cart stuck in a seemingly dry area, that ended with the cart being sunk up to the front axle. We didn't win that race, . . . and had to walk in.

What are your favorite sports or sports teams?

Baseball, College Football and Golf

Texas Rangers Baseball, Washington Redskins Football

Do/did you play any sports?

I played college baseball, and enjoy golfing with my son and friends.

What is your favorite season and why?

Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons because of the changing coloration in the vegetation and trees as the seasons change.

What's your motto in life?

Life is not what one can get out it, but its what one puts into it.

What is your morning ritual like?

Get dressed. Then Start the coffee maker for that morning brew. I would take out our dog for his morning stretch which gives me time to pickup the newspaper and checkout the headlines. If it's the weekend I will enjoy the morning sunrise and breeze with my cup of coffee, newspaper and iPad while sitting on our deck. Generally this is followed by breakfast then meeting friends for an early tee time. A weekday morning would start similar to the weekend day, except that rather than enjoying the sunrise, I check the weather forecast, the financial markets and news. Then. Review and update my Daily To Do List and Appointment Schedule. Afterwards, kissing my wife and heading to the office.

Beach or mountains?

Beach

Have you been told you look like anyone famous, and if so, who?

Yes, I was mistaken for Presidential Candidate Allen West when he visited Texarkana.

What is one thing which makes you different?

I do not become emotional in tense situations.

What would a perfect day, evening, or weekend look like for you?

Any date night with my wife, including good music, good food and/or good friends.

What is a fun experience you have had recently?

For the first time, my wife and I spent a couple days on the beach in Destin, FL. I never thought that I would enjoy myself, and it turned out to be one of the most relaxing and fun trips we have taken.

What is the best museum/gig/play/game you've ever been to?

I attended a 22-inning baseball game played between the Houston Astros vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Astrodome The game ended with the Astros winning around 3AM.

If you could replay a fun or big moment in your life, what would you choose?

Salmon fishing off the coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia, when the lines on both reels got a hit almost simultaneously. We were fishing in rather rough waters, 8-10 foot swells, and as our boat rocked and reeled from the motion of the ocean, my guide and I managed to land both fish. They were a 26 and 28 pounder.

Which person in your life do you most admire (or has had the greatest impact on you) and why?

My paternal grandmother. Both sets of my Grandparents reared me after my mother passed away (leukemia) when I was six years old. She would tell me that she could not replace my mother's love for me, but she loved me as much as my mother did. Many life lessons were learned, which came along with some discipline from time to time. Honestly, I cannot think of a time that I did not deserve being disciplined, but I would rather not have experienced it. She was a wise lady, and sometimes I did not comprehend the wisdom she imparted on me at that time, but I began to understand that wisdom shared later in life. It lives with me today.

What are a few of your favorite movies and/or music?

Movies: The Star Wars Trilogy, Indiana Jones – Raiders of the Lost Ark;, Independence Day

Music: Blues, Old School R&B (70's & 80's)

Artists: B. B. King; Bobby Bland; Earth Wind & Fire

Where would you like to retire to (real life or fantasy)?

Napa Valley

Do you have any phobias?

No phobias, but I am superstitious about a Black Cat crossing my path.

Tell us about an instance you got to do something heroic or that someone did something heroic for you.

One summer afternoon, when I was about ten years old, a friend’s mother was driving my brother and I along with her children home from the YMCA. She stopped by her grandmother’s home to pick up an item or two, and parked the car in front of the residence on a steep hill. For some unknown reason, one of her kids slides behind the steering wheel and knocks the car out of gear, then jumps out the door. The car began to roll in reverse downhill when suddenly I climbed from the back seat to apply the brakes and stop the car until an adult could come and relieve me from that position.

Do you have any pets and what are they?

Yes. We have a dog, that is a Boxer named Dierks.

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Wars.

Tell us about your kids?

Roderick is our oldest son, who lives in Dallas, TX and is a Fixed Income Trader with First Global Securities. He graduated from PGHS and from Southeastern Louisiana University, but is an avid LSU Fan. He is the father of two, Amaya and Myles. Brandon resides in Texarkana and is Assistant Principal at Wake Village Elementary School. He graduated from THS attended Delta State University before transferring to and graduating from the University of Arkansas where he met his wife, Ashley. They recently announced that a new addition to the Washington Family can be expected in March 2016. Jared resides in Houston, TX and is an Area Manager for Walmart Logistics. He graduated from THS and attended and played college baseball at Seminole College and Texarkana College. He graduated from the Walton School of Business at the University of Arkansas.

What is your favorite quality about your partner?

Hard to single out one because they are often displayed as one. There are several, her smile, her wit, the ability to have a good time wherever we go and being a good mother for our children.