I entered SFS in the fall of 1977 as a Freshman and was there until the school closed in 1980.
During those high school years at St. Fidelis, I was fortunate enough to also work there in the summers, cutting grass and helping to do general maintenance around the grounds and property. So in essence, I was with the friars almost every day for almost 4 years. Being with them on a day to day basis is when my love of the friars really grew.
After high school, I continued to live in the Butler area, and over the next 10 years, I worked at several institutions in the maintenance department, fixing, repairing and maintaining. One of these institutions was Laroche College where I met my wife Sue. Our life took us to the city of Butler where I worked at Elm Court, a mansion in the city owned by Fred Koch; I was a grounds keeper and gardener there for several years. From there I went on to Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel, PA. It's a 135-acre nature reserve with several buildings on the property where I was the Land and Facilities Manager.
After I was there for a few months, the ladies who volunteered there began to ask me to come to their houses and do repairs. More people began to ask me to work on their houses so that, after a few years, I decided to make the jump to being self-employed.
I've now owned a handyman and remodeling business for over 25 years. I have 2 daughters and a son that are out into the real world, and and my wife and I currently live in O'Hara Township, PA. We have no plans to go anywhere in the near future.