About Me
Family - Wife Sue, daughter Katie (the best things in my life)
Strongsville High School – Class of 1966 where I specialized in games, sports, mischief and tomfoolery that contributed to my ranking near the bottom of my class academically, my greatest accomplishment was finding Sue.
Cuyahoga Community College - At this point I became slightly more serious about school and was blessed with a surprisingly good string of instructors, TriC was a wonderful two years, slept at home, went to class in the morning, played golf or shot pool every afternoon.
Kent State University – I spent the next two years at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house doing dishes to pay for my room and board, enjoyed college life tremendously except for May of my senior year when the bullets flew during the infamous Kent State shooting. I was less than twenty feet away from the National Guard rifles when they went off, my first glimpse of death.
Kent State University - I enjoyed the darn place so much I continued going in the summer and at night and got a Masters Degree.
Kent State, Akron, Baldwin Wallace, Ashland, and Cleveland State - Public schools operate under the absurd notion that the more education you have under your belt the better teacher you will be and the more money you should earn. This concept encouraged me to take post-masters courses at these colleges.
Schooling
Military Service
All my life, I have been lucky. I was inspired to go to college (the first member of my extended family ever to go) by two things, Sue and the draft. The Vietnam War was raging. I was not a fan of this conflict nor was I a fan of becoming a combat solider, so a college deferment postponed the inevitable draft. After college, my deferment expired, I was classified one-A, and was preparing for the induction letter when a new experiment was tried, a lottery for the draft. They drew numbers via your date of birth, if your birthday was drawn in the first 100 or so you were going into military service because number one was the first to go. My birthday, June 8, was the last number drawn, number 366, which meant I would not be drafted. I felt a twang of guilt that so many of my friends with low numbers were going or looking for ways to stay stateside, but not enough to make me volunteer. Suddenly, unexpectedly, I was a free man with a college degree.
Work Career
Early days saw me toiling at a variety of jobs in the summers or evening, among them; grocery store, paper boy, recreation department, umpire and referee. Later, thanks to my uncle Whitey Cervenka, a great guy and a big shot in the steel business, I began spending summers working at Republic Steel Corporation in the electric shop, truck dispatch room, strip mill and maintenance. After graduation from college I spent a full year at Republic Steel and completed the management trainee program. The money was good in the Steel Mills but I knew this was not what I wanted so I left with no clear plan.
Brunswick City Schools - While playing in a city basketball league after leaving the steel mills I ran into an guy I met while doing my student teaching in Brunswick Ohio. He mentioned that a teacher had left in mid-year to become a lawyer and a position was open. I called the next morning, was hired on the recommendation of the teacher I student taught under. I started teaching two days later. I would teach and coach in the school system for over 27 wonderful years. I taught every grade from 6 to 12. I taught history, geography, science, reading, math, physical education and several others. I taught classes of gifted students, classes of troubled students and worked with people who are still great friends. I also coached non-stop, first intramurals, football and basketball, but later I spent a dozen years as the High School tennis coach then another dozen as the High School golf coach. I enjoyed every day. It was very difficult to risk taking the early retirement package and step into the unknown world of writing.
Other Stuff
Food - It would be easier to list what I don’t like. Thai and Italian usually get the first call.
Vacations - Hey, my whole life is a vacation but I especially like Thanksgiving.
Likes - Being with Sue and Katie, anywhere, anytime. Being with my wonderful family in Florida (my amazing mom, sister Margie, brother Kenny, nephews Bryan, Danny and Keith). Lakeside. Baseball trips. Good books. Horse races. Interesting films. Investigating something new.
Dislikes - Rude people. Wasting time.
Most people don’t know - I am quite obsessive. I get my teeth into some odd topic and will investigate it to ridiculous extremes.
If I could change things in the world - I would only allow people to watch 1 hour of television per day and all cell phones would go dead.
Advice - Enjoy the ride.
Other Stuff
Food - It would be easier to list what I don’t like. Thai and Italian usually get the first call.
Vacations - Hey, my whole life is a vacation but I especially like Thanksgiving.
Likes - Being with Sue and Katie, anywhere, anytime. Being with my wonderful family in Florida (my amazing mom, sister Margie, brother Kenny, nephews Bryan, Danny and Keith). Lakeside. Baseball trips. Good books. Horse races. Interesting films. Investigating something new.
Dislikes - Rude people. Wasting time.
Most people don’t know - I am quite obsessive. I get my teeth into some odd topic and will investigate it to ridiculous extremes.
If I could change things in the world - I would only allow people to watch 1 hour of television per day and all cell phones would go dead.
Advice - Enjoy the ride.
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