I came to Alaska with my parents and siblings in 1945. I grew up in Anchorage, but left there in 1962.

From 1962 to 1965 I was in the U. S. Army, most of the time with an Army band in France. This was a great experience, giving me the chance to meet many people as we helped various towns celebrate the 20th Anniversary of their liberation during WWII.

After returning to Alaska in 1965 I spent 2 years working for the Highway Department on the Kenai Peninsula before moving to Fairbanks in the fall of 1967. I continued to work for the Highway Department during the summer and attend classes during the winter. During the fall semester of 1969 I took an audio production course which introduced me to KUAC . I took a part time position there in the spring of 1970. For the next couple of years I alternated working between KUAC in the winter and the highway department during the summer. In 1972 I quit the highway department and devoted all of my time to KUAC, working part time in radio and part time for the new public TV station. I was KUAC's first news director and set up the first true news department. I also spent time as the Operations manager, being responsible for training of all on-air staff.

Then in 1974 I married Marlys Ross and moved to Sitka for a year to spend some time working for a commercial radio station.

We returned to Fairbanks in 1975 when KUAC converted from all volunteer to full-time professional staff. I continued working for KUAC until I retired in June of 1999.

During my years at KUAC I held every possible position, but most of that time was spent as Operations Director and mid-day on-air host. I designed and built the first web site for KUAC. I was also the stations computer guru.

My first computer was an Apple II plus. I stayed with Apples until they pulled the rug out from under the Apple II users. That made me so mad that I won't have anything to do with MACs. Over the years I've dealt with a variety of operating systems including CP/M, OS/2, various flavors of DOS, Linux, and Windows (through XP).

Here's a timeline of my life:

Born in May of 1944.

Family moved to Alaska in September 1945.

Grew up in and attended Anchorage schools.

Graduated high school in 1962 as part of the first West Anchorage High School senior class, the first year Anchorage had two high schools

October 1962 – enlisted in the Army. Took basic training at Fort Ord, California. Was there during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Had enough time off to spend Christmas at home.

January 1963 – assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas (near El Paso). The Engineering battalion to which I was assigned was on orders to go to Cambodia.

May 1963 – Orders for Cambodia were cancelled and was reassigned to Alaska. The APO on my orders was for Fort Richardson but the unit was actually at Fort Greely, which I didn’t learn until I arrived at McChord AFB. Revised orders never did catch up with me. During the layover at Elmendorf Air Force Base I asked the travel desk if I had time to go over to HQ and try to get a couple of days leave before heading north. I showed the duty person my orders and he said I could go no further on those orders and had my baggage removed from the plane. When I went to HQ I asked for, and received, a transfer to the band.

Fall 1963 – received orders to go to an Engineering Unit in France. Spent Thanksgiving with my sister and her family in Columbus, Miss. Watched the whole JFK saga on TV.

After Thanksgiving I proceeded on to Fort Dix, N.J. Went overseas on board the USN William Buckner.

December 1963 – arrived at assigned station outside of Orleans, France. Requested and received a transfer to the 76^th U. S. Army band effective January 2, 1964.

The main assignment of the band was community relations. We played in many towns around the region. This period included the 20^th Anniversary of the liberation of many towns during WWII so we played a lot of commemoration gigs. We traveled by bus and the towns provided housing and meals. At the time I didn’t think much about it but now realize what a great deal that was.

September 1965 – Honorable Discharge and return home. Anchorage had changed a lot. My parents had moved to Kenai so I stayed there with them for a while. Not having a clear aim (other than making money) I drew unemployment that fall. In the Spring I attended a surveying class in Anchorage under the auspice of the Man Power Development and Training Act.

Summer 1966 – worked for the highway department out of Kenai. Worked until weather shut us down for the season in October. Also applied to the University of Alaska.

Flew out with my parents in November to visit relatives. While “outside” I received an acceptance letter from UA.

Returned to Kenai after Christmas, packed up all of my stuff and drove to Fairbanks.

Spring 1967 – attended classes with an eye toward a Civil Engineering degree. Discovered that I didn’t have the drawing and math skills needed for that.

Summer 1967 – worked out of Kenai once again, this time as a materials inspector then asphalt plant inspector.

Fall 1967 – returned to Fairbanks. With another student got a house for the winter in exchange for cleaning it up after the flood and making sure all of the utilities worked.

Late spring 1968 – moved to a three bedroom apartment with two friends. The apartment was the top floor of half an old barracks building. Very nice for three bachelors.

July 1968 – had decided to remain in Fairbanks and went to work for the Highway Department as an asphalt plant inspector and worked there until classes resumed in the fall.

Fall 1968 – return to UA. Changed to a music major. I worked as check station attendant for the “Hickel Highway” or North Slope Haul Road from January 20 thru April 15 while attending classes. The check station was at Olnes and I worked the over night shift and was privileged to have a great view of the first rocket launch from Poker Flat Rocket Range.

Spring 1969 – again spent the summer working for the highway department as an asphalt plant inspecter.

Fall 1969 – returned to UA. One of my classes that fall was audio production. I had been an audiophile for years. Became a volunteer announcer at KUAC in October. Our class project was to produce Norman Corwin’s “Plot to Overthrow Christmas.” Discovered that doing radio stuff was great fun.

Spring 1970 – hired by KUAC to do tape editing for “Crossroads in Time.” Still did some announcing.

Summer 1970 – back to construction work

Fall 1970 – back to UA and work at KUAC. Developed a major crush on a young lady who worked at KUAC which contributed to my desire to spend time at KUAC.

Spring 1971 – moved to a basement apartment. That turned out to be a big mistake. That winter we had a large amount of snow. As soon as spring arrived we were flooded out. Lived in a tent for a while then got a cabin on Forty Mile Road. No running water. Honey bucket. Not that rugged as there was a Laundromat across the street and the Gavora Mall across another street.

Summer 1972 – again worked construction, mostly in the immediate Fairbanks area.

Fall 1972 – back to school and KUAC with increasing responsibilities. Did many different jobs: audio engineering, announcing, chief announcer and news director among them. Also did some television work both behind and in front of the camera. All KUAC staff were part-time but I managed to get paid for 40 hours per week even though I worked much more than that because it was fun. Bought a used trailer near campus for my own home. No roommates. All mine! Had year round work at KUAC.

In May 1974 got married to one of my announcers, Marlys Ross (not the girl I’d had a crush on since 1970), and moved to Sitka for a year. Worked part time at a commercial radio station and volunteered with the community theater group. Had my one and only on stage role as the lecherous producer in act one of “The Plaza Suite.”

May 1975 returned to KUAC for a fulltime job. Started as late night announcer, then moved up to audio production engineer. Ultimately became Operations Manager with responsibility for all on-air staff. Continued to do audio production work, both as engineer and host. Also handled all remote recording and live events.

Fall 1979 – KUAC’s first on-air fund drive (radio and TV). Did on-air work for both every year. Fun, but very wearing.

Fall 1981 Bought a "spec built" house, three bedroom. We remain there to this day.

1986 and on - Started many KUAC traditions, like the broadcast of the Summer Folk Fest. Three days on site using our Class C RV as a recording and broadcast facility. More fun than a barrel of monkeys.
We went to lots of interesting places in that rig, the Dalton Highway to the north slope, the Dempster highway in Canada to the arctic ocean. The CANOL road which runs from near Johnson Crossing on the Alaska Highway south of Whitehorse to the oil fields near Fort Norman, NW Territories or at least it used to. Now it ends at the border between the Yukon and North West Territory where maintainence stops. Built at the same time as the AlCan it was used to aid in the construction of a pipeline to bring oil from Ft. Norman to a refinery which was built in Whitehorse. The pipeline was just laid on top of the tundra. This was all done during the first year of WWII in fear that the Japanese might interfere with shipping up to Seward and Anchorage. Turned out they didn't. I'm told that the refinery ran long enough to process one delivery of oil and was then dismantled and moved to Texas. The oil from those wells was excellent for use in the north as it had a low paraffin content and thus flowed easily at cold temperatures. My dad worked on maintenance along the line and said it leaked like a sieve. Built KUAC's first web site. Also became involved with the CompuServe Science Fiction Forum which led to attending several World Science Fiction Conventions.

Built KUAC’s first web site. Also became involved with the CompuServe Science Fiction Forum which led to attending several World Science Fiction Conventions.

Fall 1981 Bought a "spec built" house, three bedroom. We remain there to this day

1992 Drove out to Edmonton to hook up with a convoy of restored WWII vehicles that were travelling the AlCan during the 50th anniversary of it's building.

June 1999 – retired after 30 years, 27 of them stuck in a basement with no windows.

Now enjoying life without having to work. We also have done a lot of RV traveling around Alaska, the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territory. Also purchased a class A motorhome and drove out to Portland, then to Vancouver, B.C., and finally to Spokane, Washington for another SF/F con..

2009 – attended the first North American Disc World Convention in Tempe, Arizona. The best Con I’ve ever attended. The number of attendees was limited which made for a much more intimate convention. Major event of the year was having energy upgrades made to our house. Spent nearly as much as we paid for the house originally. All new exterior doors and windows, one-and-a-half inches of isostyrene insulation on exterior and new siding. New furnace and heat exchange air handler (because the house was so well sealed). 13 to 15 inches of cellulose insulation added to the attic and entrances from the interior sealed. The result was a 38% reduction in the amount of fuel used to heat the house.

2011 – attended Second North America disc world convention in Madison, Wisconsin. Another really great time.

2012 – attended World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago (it had been several years since we had last attended one). A very large convention but gave us a chance to reconnect with old friends. Oh, alright, to tell the truth I was much more interested in the Chicago Jazz Festival and spent more time there than at the con.

2013 - attended the third North American Disc World Convention, this time in Baltimore. Unfortunately Sir Terry's health would not permit him to attend.

2015 Remodeled the interior. New carpet, new cabinets and countertop (with a deep undermount sink) as well as new flooring in the kitchen. The only new appliance was a microwave that would fit neatly into the cabinets. Also had the ceiling painted to cover the dirt and we painted all of the walls. During most of our married life we had a dog or dogs. Unfortunately I was diagnosed as allergic to dog dander so when the last one died we opted to go dogless. Thus the need for new carpeting. Subsequently learned I wasn't allergic to dog dander but I'm getting older and would not want a dog to outlive and feel abandoned.

2015 - Attended Sasquan, the World Science Fiction Convention in Spokane, Washington.

2016 - Attended MidAmeriCon II, the World Science Fiction Convention in Kansas City.

2018 - Attended WorldCon 76, the World Science Fiction Convention in San Jose, California.

2019 - attended the fifth North American Disc World Convention in Los Angeles. A small convention but great fun. Reconnect with friends I hadn't seen in four years.

Also bought our third new car, another Subaru Outback.

We hope to continue attending World Cons, Disc World Cons, and others in the future.