Introducing, A Much Storied Founder:
Caren Sandusky
Chapter 1. Family
Caren's parents were Carl Philip and Shirley Ann Locke Sandusky with two brothers, Phil and Mark.
Carl was the son of a creative dentist and a talented painter; was a pilot in the US Air Force and an air traffic controller. Carl inherited and developed his many creative talents becoming a true artisan.
A brilliant and devoted woman, Shirley was ahead of her time. She used her talents in theater and more to start and develop a special education program for students that the education system forgot.
Surrounded by her five kids, Caren's brother Mark to the right and Phil below,
are two of the most talented and skillful artists of modern times!
2. Education
Caren was born neuro-atypical and with other disabilities that made traditional schooling and learning difficult. With understanding teachers, a brilliant mother, talented father and adventurous family, she was able to learn more from the world than just books. Her family took exciting boat trips, road trips and flights. Every journey brought a new world to learn from. Her parents also gave her toys, art supplies, experiences and more to help her learn and grow.
3. Early Art
Caren's brother Phil was talented in drawing & painting and is well known as a master today. Her younger brother Mark could make or create almost anything but preferred to draw caricatures. Caren was drawn to create, make or build things that had or could have a purpose. She also liked business and worked to finds ways to make things that had value and could be profitable.
At age 7, Caren made and sold innovative candles.
Caren's Easter Island sculpture & 7 foot dragon costume with moving head & facial features for her mother's play.
Caren's 8 ft. Bridge Over the River Kwai.
Caren loved to draw on teletype computer paper. First you see her version of a ship like Cousteau's Calypso, equipped with her invention, port and starboard pontoon thrusters. Caren loved everything Disney and even improved on the monorail train. And finally her version of a lunar base for mining.
Growing up during the space race, Caren scratch built 3D models in the greatest detail, and drew a 4 foot Mariner 9 poster.
At age 13, discouraged by family, Caren scratch built her six foot airplane: It Will Never Fly.
30 years ahead of it's time, with a revolutionary air foil design and composite construction; Caren's airplane flew far better than any similar sized kit built flying model aircraft. She also experimented in electric propulsion and scratch built a 2 pound turbojet engine that produced 12 pounds of thrust.
4. Photography
Caren was envious of her brother Phil being able sell his art at an early age.
Caren thought about it and chose photography as an art that she could earn money with. At 14, she started with some old cameras her father had, text books from school, an old dark room, and taught herself photography. She started making money very fast selling team pictures and doing weddings.
At 16, Caren mastered the science & art of photography so well she was made a high school photography teacher. At 18 plus, she became one of the youngest certified teachers in Florida.
For research & competition, Caren made her own cameras, film and photo paper from scratch. This booklet for the county schools was her first of numerous published works, many to be used world wide.
At the same time, Caren also developed her skills in film production, starting with her father's super 8 movie camera. This would soon lead to her becoming an award winning film and television producer.
As a professional, commercial, advertising, press and forensic photographer, along with her media production, Caren would progress to becoming one of the most prolific photographers of all time.
5. Crazy Crafts
Always having grand ideas, at the age of five, Caren would use stakes and string in the front yard to mark off the rooms of her future home. At seven, she made from scratch a real working light bulb to prove she could do what Edison did. Later she would make giant kites for the neighborhood kids to fly, this one from the school roof.
For the 1974, AM 690 Rambling Raft Race, Caren built a 16 foot water tight, plastic covered, paper and cardboard boat that really worked.
Caren loved the idea of sailing and aviation.
Looking for the next big adventure, she made parachutes from scratch. Ranging from 12 to 20 feet, her friends, neighbors and three generations of family have safely enjoyed her parachutes for decades.
6. Fine Art, Toys & Utility
With rare exception, Caren has made, completely by her own hands, everything herein. She had little formal art education and mostly learn by self studying the work of great artists and artisans. Here you will see a home coming float she built, a pencil drawing, several pots, some toys for her kids and whiskey barrel chairs. She burned out 19 saw blades cutting four chairs from two barrels. Two of her pots were said by art critics to be structurally impossible to make.
7. Purposeful Creator
Growing up in the age of undersea exploration, Caren wanted to scuba dive. She joined some boys at school, took several college diving courses, completed over 300 dives (mostly cave) and trained to the level of dive master. Here she is with her oldest son, Brian.
Being a photographer, Caren had to be able to take pictures underwater. Such equipment cost so much, she decided to build her own camera cases. The unit above is 45 years old and still works, to the right is her production model that served many clients for years.
8. Adulthood and Beyond
While in school, Caren was made a certified teacher at the local college, now FSCJ.
Caren Sandusky was also selected by the State of Florida to be the first student chosen for a new type of internship program. Instead of working as an intern in a given department, she was allowed to be an observer and student in every department of a local NBC network affiliate broad-cast television station. This was a priceless opportunity to learn about the art, science and business of TV production.
While still in college, doing profes-sional photography and selling cameras at Montgomery Wards, Caren started her first (and longest lasting) of several businesses.
Art by Marc Brian
9. Marriage and Family
Caren and her spouse have five children. To the left, you see them at Christmas time in front of her green tech designed fire place that heated water to provide heat to other rooms.
They were also foster and adoptive parents. For two decades they sheltered more than two dozen children who needed a loving home. The brunettes seen here were neighbors from a good home.
This family loved books, music, adventures, parties, holidays, movies, friends, making videos, helping others and opening their home to friends.
10. Preserving History
Caren has a passion for history. Above is a replica of a 1909 Moy & Bastie 35mm cine camera. With her father's help, she made it for an exhibit about silent film making in Florida well over 100 years ago.
Caren also collects and restores artifacts of history. Many of these are relating to photo-graphy and cinema-tography. The center piece of two celebrated exhibits was her 1912 Simplex 35mm motion picture projector, high-ly acclaimed by the Smithsonian, that she restored by hand.
11. Animal Farm
In her youth, Caren had the great opportunity to learn equestrian skills and a love of horses from several professional rodeo cowboys.
Caren, her children and grand kids love animals of all kinds. She just can't be whole without her dogs and cats. She and her family also cherish their farm where they grow peanuts, hay, trees, watermelons and sorghum.
12. Adventures & Fun
Caren Sandusky started her own adventures, traveling and camping with these friends to the left. It would continue on with more friends and family.
For business and pleasure, Caren has flown or mostly driven almost 2 million miles across and around the United States.
Really nice trips, good friends, eating tasty food.
Caren enjoys fencing, bowling and history reenactments, and:
Concerts with friends.
Dancing with daughter.
There's no more worthy adventure than helping with grand kids. Being a warm bed, a Flash NeeNee and dinosaur food, so much fun.
"Yes Sam, he wants to eat us, well mostly you!"
Caren's youngest son Ethan, also likes to do things big, just like her.
Thanks for joining us for a personal look into our Founder's life. To see what Caren Sandusky has created in business and more, please see our "History" page.