OBIT updated 9-14-06 Born in Lake Charles, La. He spent most of his grade school years in Metairie, La. He attended high school in Lumberton, Ms. Where he spent much time in the library and reading science fiction books in his classes. He wrote some twenty poems and began toying with the short story form. He attended PRC community college in hopes of a better job, but with no real focus and for lack of better ambition. After two years there, he ended up as a roofer for four years. During college and his years as a roofer, he explored the short story format, writing five or six shorts and making an effort to publish them, without persistence, to no avail.
At 24, he had a freak diving accident that injured his spine in the neck area, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Prognosis was good (in spite of the fact that 98% of the people injured in this area are dead and 98% of the 2% survivors live with a tracheotomy to breathe and are still paralysed and confined to a wheelchair for life), but he did not sever his spinal cord so he slowly began to recover.
A year later, in 1982, he began attending USM, making the dean's list the first semester, but the first one only. He was reasonably functional, but suffered from a lack of emotion, inability to concentrate, and depression, signs of what we now know to be Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Four years later and no closer to a degree, he took one job after another, including Office Manager for a computer store in Pascagoula, MS which he enjoyed and found fulfilling till the store closed in 1989. He drifted from job to job again, until late in 1997 he found employment with Sunbeam. Sunbeam was a fairly good job, but in two years he suffered a total emotional collapse.
Somewhere in this period he wrote a screenplay, just to say he had finished one and reworked his poems and short stories as well as writing a few more. After a time in a "mental health facility" suffering from deep depression, he landed a simulacrum of the "job he always wanted", a purchasing agent. After almost a year he met a wonderful woman over the internet, and decided to make another try for a degree.
He took a couple of courses at PRC to test the waters, and did fairly well. With his lady friend's help and encouragement, and on good terms with his mental/emotional state, he pressed forward even after losing his job in mid April, 2001. In July he went to the United Kingdom under the British Studies Program's Geography course, and though based in London, he also traveled through Wales and Scotland, experiencing a fair portion of the Island and meeting several people, all of whom were exceptionally nice. He even made a quick trip into France to see the Louvre (meeting more nice people). After retuning to Hatteisburg, he continued to pursue a bachelor of science degree in GIS (Graphic Information Systems). At the completion of the summer semester, (August 2002) he completed the requirements for his Associate of Arts degree from Pearl River Community College. (YAY!) He took his GRE test to enable admission to graduate school, and PRAXIS tests to enhance the possibility of a teaching position. He was accepted into Graduate school to start the summer of 2003, after completing the requirements for graduation that spring semester and graduating in May 2003. He worked part time as an intern for the city of Hattiesburg since January 7, 2003 and became full time GIS Technician in September of 2003. Even though the pay is sub-standard for this area, benefits are good and work environment is very relaxed.He has yet to decide pursuing his Masters degree is viable or necessary, but is open to that possibility.
On the horizon: Contracting work in spare time, otherwise the future is wide open...
Return to Home Page