2015 Update:  After Roy Hart I studied Music Education at SUNY Fredonia. Graduated 1969. While in Fredonia I played bass guitar and sang in various rock bands in clubs in the area. ‘69-‘70 Taught elementary band In Southampton, Long Island, NY.

In ’70 I was drafted into the Army. Took basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey and was assigned to the 26th Army Band on Staten Island in NYC. There I played trombone in the Army band and sang bass in an Army Barber Shop Quartet. I also played bass and formed a private rock band on Long Island in my free time.

After a year in NYC I was reassigned to Fulda, Germany. While there, I played trombone in the 84th Army band and played electric bass as the only white guy in an all-black soul music show band. We played the various NCO clubs in Germany. Once, in 1973, I shared the stage with ABBA before they were famous in the states.

During that time I married my college sweetheart and took her back to Germany. In November 1972 our son was born and in 1973 I got out of the Army and took a European Out. I worked in a tire factory in Fulda Germany, working in the German language and driving a fork truck.

Then in 1974, we came back to the states and settled in Syracuse, NY. (The area where my wife was from.) I worked various jobs, like teaching musical instruments (piano, organ, guitar, banjo, drums, and violin), house construction, and took over an established truck driving route where I purchased a brand new truck and sold tire repair and car repair parts out of the truck. Business was good.

In 1983 I was diagnosed with having MS. As a result of the MS I quit the truck driving auto parts business in 1993 and started up a business where I handled submitting doctors' medical claims electronically through my computer to insurance companies. By 1998 I was substitute teaching in the area public schools. All subjects but mainly music (bands, choruses and orchestras). Loved it.

My dear wife has had three hip surgeries. Two of which I had to substitute teach her German classes for her for six weeks straight each time. (Her third surgery was in the summer.)

Since 2006, I have taught myself piano using the Suzuki Piano Course and now I enjoy playing Chopin, Beethoven, Bach and other composers. Absolutely love it.

Health-wise, besides the MS, in 2007 I had back surgery where L3 and L4 were fused, then my prostate was reamed out with a green laser. Then five years later, in 2012, I went through 44 daily sessions of radiation to cure prostate cancer. So far, all have been successful. For exercise I try to do eighty push-ups a day.

I am now fully retired. No more substitute teaching. However, I am volunteering full time as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses (been one for over 40 years); sharing the Bible’s message and studying the Bible with people in the Baldwinsville, NY area.

My wife and I also enjoy camping by kayaking to a remote site in our tandem kayak. We load everything into and onto our kayak: tent, food, water, sleeping bags, air mattresses, wood, etc. and set up camp. So far we have only camped on lakes in the Adirondacks. We used to have campers, but we sold those and enjoy this the best.