I grew up in Chester, PA — same place my parents, Doris and Tony (“Boston Blackie”), grew up. Chester wasn’t just home; it was our whole world. I lived with my parents until I was 15, then moved in with my Nanny Ieradi just five blocks away. When my Pop‑Pop died in 1973, she refused to leave her house, so the family made sure someone was always living with her. My turn came, and honestly, it was one of the most meaningful parts of my childhood.

I spent my school years in Catholic education: Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic, then St. Robert’s, then St. James for high school. People always ask why I didn’t start at St. Robert’s with my siblings — easy answer: by the time my mom tried to register me, kindergarten was full. Life’s little twists.

I stayed in the same five‑block radius until 1989, when my then‑wife and I moved to Middletown Township. Going from a city where everything was around the corner to a place where you had to drive everywhere felt like moving to the country.

I worked a bunch of jobs growing up — cutting grass, delivering newspapers, and helping out in my buddy Paul’s dad’s bakery — and I started at Wawa Food Markets the day after I turned 16. My career ultimately took shape in information technology, where I worked my way from Computer Operator to Senior Director of Data Center Management. Along the way, I was fortunate to work with and consult for world‑class companies that sent me all over the United States and even to a few pretty amazing countries.

I retired at 60 after years of consulting, though I still help home users and home‑office clients with IT. Look me up at www.awiconsulting.net. I also became a Florida notary, partly because I needed something to do besides hacking my way around a golf course. My wife Sandy and I have been together for over 20 years, and we now live in The Villages. I’ve got three kids, two step kids, and one dog, Dahlia. After owning homes in PA and NJ, we sold it all and headed south for sunshine, warmth, and the occasional tropical storm.

There’s a lot more to share — and I’ll get to it. Stick around.