I was born in St. Paul, MN, and raised a Catholic on a small farm north of St. Paul. I quit school after 10th grade, joined the Navy at age 17, and served for 22 years. This included service on submarines, surface ships, and involvement with the Vietnam War for four years. I earned degrees in physics, electrical engineering, and naval architecture from Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
I met my life partner, Marie, in 1976, and moved to Lakeland, FL, where we lived for the next 40 years. While in Lakeland, I worked as an electrical engineer for W.R. Grace and Jacobs Engineering. During these 40 years, I attended the UU congregation in Lakeland for about 10 years, serving in most board positions, including president of the congregation. I also started a chartered chapter of the American Humanist Association in Lakeland and served as its president for six years.
Hendersonville was Marie’s home as a young girl, and so Marie and I and our two dogs moved to Hendersonville in 2014 for our retirement. I have two children, two grandchildren, and one great grandchild. My interests include progressive politics, humanist outreach, and readings in philosophy, ethics, anthropology, history, and cosmology.