By Charlotte Byus
In the early 70’s, just after our second daughter was born, I went back to work for Hycel, Inc. This company was in manufacturing medical equipment for hospitals. I became the secretary for the controller, not because I was a good secretary, I was very good at typing numbers. In other words, I typed all financials and out-going statements. Our computer took up a room bigger than a house and the room was freezing, but it could not print a statement. The owner allowed us to charter a credit union, and we hired a manager. Strange lady, but I thought she did a good job with all those paper ledgers. One day, I walked into her office for a reason and there sat a man with a big head of hair and a really big frown on his face. I said, “Hi, is Miss so-in-so in today?” “NO!” he yelled. “I’ll come back, thank you.” That was my first meeting with a person who became a good friend and the best boss ever.

In 1979, RR and I moved to Clear Lake City and I went to work at JSC’s Credit Union in the accounting department. I went to work just after a large conversion where everything that could go wrong did. Several weeks after my employment, here walks in that man with the big hair and an even bigger frown. To the Board of Directors he said, “I want this mess cleaned up in 90 days!” Of course we did what we were told, working many overtime hours. When he and another auditor came back to check on our progress he asked me “Do I know you?” O Hell! “No sir, but we have met at Hycel, years ago.”

I became the manager of the accounting department and for many years Mr. Rachal was our lead Auditor. I made sure our accounting system was in A1 condition. Laura and I became business friends with Mr. Rachal.

In the middle 80’s the president’s position came open at Brown Builder Federal Credit Union. By this time, Paul and I were on first name basis and I called him to see if he knew about it? I thought it would be a good change for him and of course he would need a good bookkeeper. His words to me were “How The Hell Did You Find Out About This!!!” O Hell!

Laura went to work for him as Vice President and I became Accounting Manager. We took on a credit union that was small and an owner who did not want anything to do with something called a union. Of course, that would be Mr. Brown, and I must say he never had a union in his company with the exception of our credit union.

We spent many years bringing this little place into one of the largest credit unions in Houston. Because of Paul, we were known state-wide as one of the best.

Paul was the first to retire, then two years later I retired, and Laura followed several years later. We remained friends, and usually we would meet for lunch at least twice a year with our husbands and Paul’s wife.

Last week Paul passed away from cancer and his funeral was this week, but with the pandemic RR and I were not able to attend. This is my way to pay tribute to a kind, strong minded and great man.

RIP my friend.

[May-25-2020]