As most of you know, my wife Julie, daughter Sara and I spent last year living in Madrid, Spain. Above is a photo taken in December 2019 while touring the Christmas lights in Plaza Mayor. Little did we appreciate a year ago as we spent a four day weekend in Paris that our adventures and service work were about to be disrupted by the virus. Madrid was hit hard. The hospitals were full. The convention center served as a makeshift covid ward and the ice rinks became morgues. The government instituted a complete lockdown similar to the restrictions Alberto described last week currently in effect in Peru. The restrictions were supported by all political parties in Spain from the fascist to the communist. Every night at our apartment complex at 7 pm we went to our rooftop and applauded our healthcare workers with our neighbors. Prior to covid, I was active in two rotary clubs, Majadahonda and Pozuelo. Early in the virus we lost an amazing Rotarian, Juan Antonio Gonzalez to the virus. Juan was a retired Nuclear engineer who was working full time through Rotary on a project to bring sanitary water to an indigenous tribe in Bolivia. Since our return to Thiensville in June, I have maintained my support of the Majadahonda club to raise money for Spain’s foodbanks. In these covid times I appreciate the opportunity through Rotary to make a small difference both locally and internationally.
I was born in San Diego, a navy brat and grew up in Newport News, Virginia. I headed north for college and graduated in 1977 from Michigan Tech in the upper peninsula with a degree in mechanical engineering. I then went to work for General Motors at its Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan. At night I went to law school at Wayne State. I came to Milwaukee in 1981 for a job with Quarles & Brady. After sampling corporate defense for five years I joined a plaintiff’s firm and began to specialize in Product Liability cases. In 1995 after several job changes I started my own law firm, Cabaniss Law. In my practice I prosecuted, tried and settled personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, legal malpractice and fraud cases. I closed my office in 2019 and have one remaining case to complete.
I am spending my recreational time bicycling, golfing and reading. While in Spain I joined the Casa de Campo mountain biking club and upon my return I joined the Bayview Bicycle club. I am also taking Spanish 204 at UWM as an audit student. As a family we enjoy traveling, cooking and entertaining. Prior to settling on Spain for our year abroad we visited and considered Costa Rica and Ecuador(Cumbaya near Quito). We hosted a Spanish AFS student Carla for school year ’17-’18 and it was visiting her during the summer of ’18 in Madrid that resulted in our selection of Spain. Our daughter Sara was adopted from Guatemala in 2007 and during our adoption trip I reconnected with an old Guatemalan friend, Gloria. She and her husband have a foundation in Guatemala that cares for children with mental and physical handicaps, Anini. It also operates a school for about 300 kids from the surrounding area as well as medical, dental, eye and other clinics for the neighboring area. Upon our return we started a 501c3, Anini USA, initially to raise money for Anini Guatemala. Additionally, we also now raise money for a Milwaukee dental clinic operated by Children’s Hospital and for a school in rural Kenya. We look forward to continuing our backyard fundraiser in a post covid world. I also have three older children, Jess(38), Josh(35) and Jason(33) as well as three grandchildren.