Born in Rockford, IL and raised in Elizabeth, Jo Daviess Co., IL, attended University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University, graduating in 1970. Enlisted in the US Air Force in 1970 and flew C-141s at Norton AFB, CA for 19 years, both active duty and USAF Reserve. Retired from US Air Force Reserve in 1990. Hired by Western Airlines in Los Angeles in 1978, flew for two other airlines while furloughed from Western in the early 1980s and became a Delta Airlines pilot in 1987 after Delta acquired Western. Retired from Delta Airlines as a Salt Lake City B-767 Captain in 2005.

Since retiring I've become hooked on genealogy! I've done the research and have completed about a dozen family histories for both my wife's and my own families. Our family trees have grown more branches than roots as a result of my research and it's hard to keep track of all of our newly found distant cousins.

I married the former Connie Madsen of Ogden, UT since 1972; she died in 2016 and I currently live in Bountiful, UT. We have three children and five grandchildren at last count. I am currently active with the Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill AFB, UT and sit on its board of directors.