After Milne, I attended Rider University (it was Rider College at that time, but "University" sounds a whole lot better). Clearly, Rider was not my first choice, but as it turned out, it was my only choice. After graduating in '67, I headed to New York City.

I really wanted to do something interesting and totally unexpected with my life. Advertising, and the creative process, held a particular fascination for me.

I spent almost my entire career living and working in Manhattan in the creative end of the advertising business. My first job was as a trainee, then in succession, Junior Copywriter, Copywriter, Senior Copywriter, Creative Supervisor, Creative Director, VP Creative Director.  

The last 5 years of my career I spent as Senior VP, Group Creative Director for The Interpublic Group. Interpublic is a global conglomerate of advertising agencies. While at Interpublic, I worked with the folks at McCann Erickson Worldwide, Bozell Jacobs Kenyon & Eckhardt Global, Foot Cone & Belding and a number of their other agency subsidiaries.

All of us being about the same age, I'm sure (I hope) you'd be familiar with at least a few of the advertising programs and campaigns I created over the years.

Frazzled, burnt-out and alone...I retired in early 1986.

Now to get a bit personal.

Married Vicky in 1970. Still friends, we divorced in 1977. Met and married Patsey after I retired in 1986. Patsey is originally from NC. On a visit to meet her family, we fell in love with the Village of Pinehurst and the Town of Southern Pines. Pinehurst is modeled after a quaint New England village, while Southern Pines is traditionally Southern, complete with a train running through the middle of town. Soon after we moved to Pinehurst. Pinehurst is considered by many to be the "golf capitol" of the US and has hosted the 1999 and the 2005 US Open.

Patsey had two sons from a previous marriage (Vicky and I had no children during our 7 years together). With both her sons now married and with children of their own, we built a larger home in Southern Pines, NC in 2004 (about 2 miles away from Pinehurst) for visits by our 7 grandchildren, friends and other family members. Since both our families are spread out between CT, NY, NJ, NC and FL, Patsey and I are on the road quite a bit.

Patsey still works as a pre and post op.Trager therapist with many of the local physicians. I am still involved in advertising doing freelance creative work for NC advertising agencies. In my spare time I tutor at the local middle school, edit the monthly magazine for the regional hospital and work with the local community theatre. Fortunately for the community...not on stage.

In 1999 I went back to school and earned my MBA from Pfeiffer University at night. In a year or two, I hope to be teaching Marketing at Sandhills Community College to those who want to continue on for their Bachelor's degree.

Thats it folks! It'll be great seeing you all at the reunion. Meantime, I'm sure we'd all enjoy catching up with what all of you have been doing these past 45 years.

Take care and stay well!