Though my college career began in 1961 as an undergraduate in the School of Design, I enjoyed being a Sigma Chi so much it was quickly evident that I needed to mature if I was going to get a degree. After four years in the Army, OCS, a tour in Vietnam as an infantry office with the 1st Calvary and marriage to my Sigma Chi Sweetheart in August 1967, I was ready to try school again. Lineta, the GI Bill and various jobs around town supported us through graduation in 1972. We stayed in touch with most of the Brothers who stayed in Raleigh (Chip Andrews, Jerry Jackson, George Ellinwood, Phil Miller), but most all the guys from the early 60s were long graduated and gone from the scene, so we didn’t get to know the new guys at the house.

I had been working with Valand-Benzing and Associates in Raleigh my last couple of years in school and stayed with them through the mid-70s. We specialized in regional shopping centers, one of which was Myrtle Square Mall in Myrtle Beach, a project that led me to the company I would work with for the next 35 years. In 1977 I moved to Myrtle Beach with the development company that basically built Myrtle Beach into the tourist destination it is today. I came on board as vice-president/development, and worked in every area of the family-owned business until mandatory retirement at 65. I ended up returning as the interim CEO a year later when the company had some leadership challenges and now do limited consulting with them and another developer in Pennsylvania.

Lineta and I celebrated our 47th anniversary last month. I serve as director emeritus for Leadership Grand Strand, which I founded in 1980 to support community involvement by young professionals. I presently serve on the Planning Commission for the City of Myrtle Beach and on the Board of our art museum.

We also bought the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream franchise for the area in 1995 and Lineta managed the three scoop shops until our second grandson arrived, then she found a buyer. We continue to be partners in two shops in the Gatlinburg, TN area.

We’ve enjoyed our life at Myrtle Beach, still mostly a small community except for the millions of visits annually. We leave on holiday weekends and to go our bungalow in Hendersonville, NC, where I play golf and we both just relax. And Lineta is always looking for our next grand adventure, which usually entails travel, family, friends and funds. We’ll enjoy it as long as we can…