Mini Bio

That's me in the back row with the curly hair an the big goofy smile. Lots of the cousins and the Coffey Grandparents. (Circa 1958)

The abbreviated version, with bullet points.

Born August 14, 1950
Graduated high school June, 1968
Attended colleges: Marquette University (1968-1969), Holyoke Community College (1971-1974), Westfield State University (1989-1993,) Lesley University (1995-1997) Definitely a slow starter.
Self-employed painting contractor in Western Massachusetts (1978-1993)
Elementary, middle school and secondary public school teacher (1993-2022)
To date, I'm still kicking

Born in 1950, smack dab in the middle of the last century, five years after the end of WWII, I grew up in the town of West Springfield, Massachusetts. When the birthing was complete, I was the eldest, and the only boy. I have four younger sisters who range from one year and 13 years behind me.

It was a magical time to be a kid, at least it was if you were white and lived in the suburbs. My dad was a teacher and my mom was, for most of the early years, a stay-at-home mother. The neighborhood was lower-middle to middle class, with many of the households headed by returning WWII vets.

Like all of the kids of my generation, I spent my free time outdoors in all seasons. Summers: bike riding, playing baseball, exploring the woods behind our house, catching frogs and snakes. Winters: playing pond hockey, sliding, skiing. There were plenty of kids of all ages within a street or two away.

In 1951, my maternal grandfather and uncle built a rustic cottage in Stonington CT, literally a stone's through from the water. We just called it "the beach." Along with my dad, mom, and sisters, and many cousins, I spent a couple of weeks there every summer from the time I was 2 years old. We spent the days swimming, crabbing, fishing, climbing on the rocks along the shoreline or exploring the marsh.

I am the proud father of two beautiful, mature women.