Vance Pumphrey

As a teenager, Vance Pumphrey was an exceptionally bright young man with the whole world ahead of him. Growing up as the son of a member of the United States Air Force, Pumphrey was accustomed to moving around a lot. But when his family moved to Texas during high school, the self-described rebellious teen began to take a look at what he wanted to do with his life, which at that time did not include living in Texas. After some friends joined the U.S. Navy in 1977, Pumphrey decided that was an option worth considering and soon found himself in the office of his local recruiter. His pretest was such a success that he was given the opportunity to choose what area he most wanted to join, which was to become a nuclear electrician.

Though his main focus at that point was to complete his high school education so that he could officially begin his Navy career and move on, Pumphrey’s time as a teenager in Texas was not for nothing. It brought about his entrance into the military, but equally as lifechanging it provided him the opportunity to meet Lisa, the friend of his sister. Vance and Lisa eventually became close friends, dating and finally marrying in 1981.

After high school, Vance attended boot camp in California, marking the beginning of an adventurous military career on nuclear submarines. Stationed in Hawaii, Washington, New York, and North Carolina, he spent time in submarines near those areas, as well as in Scotland. Pumphrey was also an instructor for a number of years, training other up-and-coming nuclear electricians for the Navy.

Pumphrey left the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer in August 1995, when he was offered early retirement. “The military was good to me,” he says. “It gave me enough structure that I was able to turn it into something pretty great.”

That structure and his leadership skills led him to positions as maintenance manager, most recently for a glass company in Seattle, Washington. Vance held this position until his retirement last year, upon which he and Lisa bought an RV and leisurely made their way from Seattle to Texas to settle here in Forney, a central point between many of their relatives.

“Setting up camp” in Forney for this last year has been great for the Pumphreys, who enjoy being so much closer to their sons, daughters-in-law, and granddaughter. When they are not spending time with family or planning their next RV trip to visit their many friends across the U.S., Vance is also an accomplished author with seven books published and more on the way.

Though clearly a gifted individual in his own right, Vance Pumphrey attributes much of his success to his experiences in the U.S. Navy. So much so that he recommends it, and other public service, for all young men and women. “I really believe that everyone should do some type of public service – not just the military, but some public service.” He feels that public service provides the invaluable structure that has been so impactful in his life.