Short Biography
If you want the short version of who I am: I was born in 1939, lived, still kicking.
With my wife, Carolyn, in 1964.
Slightly Longer Biography
Early Years
My six sisters and I are in order by age, 1971
I was born on July 2, 1939 in Huntington, West Virginia into a family of females, aka six sisters. My youngest sister being ten years my senior. By the way, I was the only one born in a hospital; all of my sisters were born at home.
We didn’t have much money. That’s the way it goes; everybody isn’t rich.
Education
I attended public school in the 1940s and 50s. West Virginia is not known as a state where wealth runs rampant but I had an excellent education. I was taught science, math, civics, history, and English. You know, those things not bothered with much in today’s public schools.
When I was 14, in 1953, I started working part-time. Why? Because I needed a few bucks my father couldn’t afford to give me.
When I was 18, in 1957, I made a fool out of myself for a year. That is to say, I went to college to play bridge. Something I have always regretted.
Skip Ahead a Few Years
Over the years, I picked up a few hours of college credits.
On the day I turned 30, July 2, 1969, I got out of bed, cursed myself for being so stupid, took vacation for a day, and went to North Carolina State University to get started back in school.
School was a bit of a pain; I had a wife, two daughters, and a mortgage. I won’t go into the gory details except to say we were broke a lot. I graduated from NCSU with a BS in Computer Science on August 13, 1971; I was 32.
United States Air Force
In all my USAF glory, autumn 1961.
I wised up when I was 19 and enlisted on August 4, 1958. That was the smartest thing I had done so far.
The USAF taught me three basic things:
1) I learned to grow up.
2) I learned the basics of the profession I retired from.
3) I learned, at all cost, avoid being hit by a beer bottle.
Marriage
My wife and I. I don’t really know when. I was probably about 50
Huntington, West Virginia
Carolyn and I met at a party in October 1963. Somehow, she trapped me. What I am saying is that we married about eight weeks later on December 13, 1963. I was 24 and Carolyn was 21.
I went to school for a while. We both worked.
New York
In 1965, I took a job with IBM as a technician in Poughkeepsie, New York. A year or so later, IBM turned me into a programmer.
North Carolina
In 1968, I transferred to North Carolina and have lived there ever since.
I retired from IBM in 1992, age 53, and started my own small business. I dropped the business in 2002 and have been a bum ever since.
In January 2016, we learned that my wife had contracted Leukemia.
On April 4, 2017, Carolyn, my wife of over 53 years, died.
My daughters, Lisa and Laura, a few years back.
Old Man
Not much to say here except that the old car looks to be in better shape than the old man. I still have the Ford and it still runs better than I do.
