Occupation: I am a retired science teacher. I taught at the Blue Mountain Middle School, Hendrick Hudson School District, in Montrose, N.Y., for 37 years.
Occupation: I am a retired science teacher. I taught at the Blue Mountain Middle School, Hendrick Hudson School District, in Montrose, N.Y., for 37 years.
Family: Mary Jo and I will be celebrating our 40th anniversary in June. We have three children, all adopted from Korea. Richard is married to Milena and is a wireless technology software designer for Associated Press. Linda is married to Gino and is a nurse practitioner for the clinical trials program of the Whittingham Cancer Center of Norwalk Hospital. Judy is married to John and is an accountant for Scharf Weisberg Communications in Queens.
Pets: We have Scruffy, a remarkable 18-year-old Lhasa mix, Jenny, a 7-year-old English springer spaniel, and Julie, a 3-year-old English cocker spaniel.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We have lived here for four and a half years. We moved here from Kent, N.Y.
What do you like to do in your free time? We spend a lot of time with our three grandchildren, Nicholas, Christian, and Jake, and we are busy fixing up a cottage in Maine. In addition, my hobbies are model railroading, kayaking, and when inspired, freelance writing. I have five different sets of trains. Iâve been working on the train set for eight years.
What is your favorite book or movie? Iâm currently reading The Nelson Touch, the life and career of Admiral Horatio Nelson, and Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. My favorite historical movies would be Lawrence of Arabia, Hunt For Red October, Zulu, and a 1952 movie called The Cruel Sea. I do watch TV documentaries on the Discovery and History Channels, and Masterpiece Theater is a must see â I was born in Wimbledon, England, lived in Southern England and then immigrated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1950 until 1955. Then I lived in England again until 1958 when I came to the United States.
What is your favorite travel destination? Currently, it is Georgetown Island, Maine, where we just purchased a vacation cottage. Outside of the continental USA, I love the cities of Sydney and London and the Whitsunday Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
What is the best thing about Newtown? It is a very attractive place to live and offers many opportunities for a retiree to become involved. Mary Jo and I are docents at the Curtiss House and both of us have been very active in the Congregational Church. In addition, it has several very friendly restaurants, like My Place.
If you could spend a day with anyone, who would that be? It would have to be my father-in-law and my father, both deceased. My wifeâs father and I shared a very special relationship and he passed on to me the value of giving back to the community some of your time and talents. My own father instilled the value of always doing your very best in whatever you undertake, make timely decisions, and believe in the equality of all people. He was a very modest man, and after he died, I only then learned that he was a brilliant and heroic Royal Navy Commander in World War II. I would love to find out more about their lives, things you donât think to ask when they are living.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Live life to the fullest; be involved.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? That probably relates to my career as a teacher: Never underestimate middle school studentsâ abilities to surprise you. I love middle school-aged kids. They keep you on your toes.