Jeanie Maynard Gonzalez Wingo (BSR ’67)
Director of the Leon County Mental Health Association
My father became an instructor that opening year in adaptive physical education teaching rehabilitation for the returning soldiers. As a graduate and football co-captain he later coached Lakeland High from a losing team to top in the state coaching future Governor Lawton Chiles and when WW2 began he was assigned to help the wounded coming home. This led him to UF after the war along with Spurgeon Cherry, P.A. Lee, Jim MacCachran, and Dr. Stevens.
I was two years old and loved playing in the new gym and never missed a football game. We moved to Tallahassee 5 years later when he headed physical education, health, and started the state driver’s education and summer programs which received awards by President Kennedy. He later became FL Assistant Commissioner of Education and inspired me to attend HHP where I proudly received your Distinguished Alumni Award for promoting health through legislation—1st Clean Indoor Air state, 1st to have community defibrillators and new fitness bills.
Another war was raging while at UF and I proudly served as sponsor of the Army Brigade and marched with the thousands of ROTC Cadets who would go to Viet Nam upon graduation. Spurrier was quarterback at the time. Being Sigma Chi Derby Queen was fun too and speaks well of fitness taught at UF especially by Roy Leilich.
Bill Shands was my grandmother’s cousin, my mother’s father was on the 1st or 2nd football team and my grandson is now the 5th generation at UF. GO GATORS!
FIVE GENERATIONS OF GATORS were influenced by the College of HHS.