Occupation: I'm a retired police officer. I worked for Monroe Police Department for 20 years. In 1969, when I was 15 years old, my dad and I were hunting in town when he had a heart attack and died. A young officer brought me home and talked to me all the way there and I decided to get involved in the Newtown Explorers Police Program. With a 3-year-old brother at home I worked two jobs, at the Crossroads Restaurant in Stevenson and on the press at The Bee Publishing Company. Life changed and I got a job at the Mobil Chemical Company in Stratford and was there for 21 years. During that time-frame, Exxon bought it and was starting to downsize, so I did the very first Newtown Citizens Police Academy and decided to go into law enforcement.

Family: I'm married to my wife, Carol. She's my best friend in the world. Together we have six children and 13 grandchildren, so you can say I am a rich man when it comes to family. Two daughters still live in Newtown, Cheri and Eileen; Kenny lives in Oxford; Denny lives in Southbury; Stacey lives in Seymour; and Danielle lives in Ansonia.

Pets: I have a springer spaniel, Molly. She's my hunting dog, therapy dog, and companion.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I was born and raised in Sandy Hook. From 1974 to 1979 I lived in Bridgeport for work and the military, but I decided to move back to Sandy Hook, just in a different location.

What do you like to do in your free time? I hunt and fish quite a bit. I've been an avid fly-fisherman since I was 8 years old. My main passion is dogs and I still train dogs today. I assisted in training three of the Newtown police dogs and, overall, I've assisted in putting 60 dogs on the street. I had my own kennels breeding and training English setters for 25 years.

What is your favorite travel destination? We took my fifth wheel [camper], we camped, and saw a lot of great stuff.Montana and Arizona. I like traveling the East Coast quite a bit, too. When I retired we took eight-and-a-half months to travel the United States and saw 41 of the 50 states.

What is the best part about Newtown? Newtown is rich in history. We had the doughboys here during the early 1900s and during Vietnam the military used to do training out in Paugussett State Forest just down the street from the house I grew up in, on Great Quarter Road.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My wife. That comes from the mutual respect we have for one another. She is my go-to person when things are bad, and she is always there for me. Her strength gives me my strength.

My dad. It was simpler times with him, and I didn't get to know him as an adult.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why?

What is your favorite musical genre? I like country and play the guitar. I'm an avid fan of Tim McGraw and Keith Urban.

Do you have a favorite TV show? Right now, it's Lethal Weapon. I look forward to that every Tuesday night.

What is your favorite food? I love Thanksgiving dinner - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, all of it.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? My father, who had a sixth-grade education and was a steel worker, would say, "You work hard, you care for your family, and you remain respectful and honorable."

My wife. When you have a person who becomes your support, who you know will be there, and know is not going to let you down, that's important.

What is something you cannot live without?

What is your proudest accomplishment? Raising the children and the grandchildren. That's your legacy.