Born in New York, New York. Raised and educated at the primary and secondary levels in the Elmhurst section of Queens, New York not far from Flushing Meadows, the site of the 1939 and 1964 New York World Fairs and today’s venue of the National Tennis Center.
My youth was spent in a parish-centric neighborhood where you identified your home by the name of your parish church. Following elementary school I attended a local, all boys, Catholic high school where I was active in student government and all major sports. Upon graduation I enrolled in the Class of 1969 at Providence College and declared history as my major of choice from the outset of my freshman year. My curriculum often had me under the tutelage of Patrick T. Conley, Ph.D. distinguished Professor of History throughout my four years at P.C. As an undergrad I assisted with projects for the Department of Military Science (ROTC) and was one of the founders of a committee to try to return football to P.C. at the club level. I graduated with a B.A. in History in June of 1969 and, in the same week, was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army through the ROTC program and married my wife of now nearly 52 years.
I was ordered onto active duty in the Army in July of 1969 just days after the United States landed men on the moon for the first time. My military service saw assignments at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Myer, Virginia, Fort Holabird, Maryland and the Republic of Vietnam. I completed my active duty service after Vietnam and continued in the Army Reserves as the commanding officer of the 76th Training Division’s component in Providence. New family responsibilities led me to pursue a career in the insurance business where I worked for various companies in various places culminating with 23 years of service with General Reinsurance Corporation (now a part of Berkshire Hathaway) headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut until retirement.
My wife and I reside in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. We have two children and five grandchildren. I joined the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame at the invitation of President Conley in January of 2018.