Occupation: I'm a realtor with Flagpole Realty. I've been in this business since 2004. I started out in 1965 with a liquor store in Louisville, Ky. We moved to New York, and I was a partner in a keychain company, and then joined a company that so
Occupation: Iâm a realtor with Flagpole Realty. Iâve been in this business since 2004. I started out in 1965 with a liquor store in Louisville, Ky. We moved to New York, and I was a partner in a keychain company, and then joined a company that sold novelties and became sales manager. I got my accounting degree and I still freelance with that. After I retired, I got bored, and thatâs when I got my real estate license.
Family: My wife, Betsy, and I have a son, Michael. He lives in Patterson, N.Y., with Kim, and they have a 27-month-old baby girl. Her name is Emma Leigh Rose.
Pets: We have one cat, Sue Simmons, named for the Channel 4 newscaster. Weâve always named our cats after famous people. Weâve had Mary Tyler Moore, Frank Sinatra, and Fred Astaire.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved to Sandy Hook this past March.
What do you like to do in your free time? Iâm a past president of our synagogue in Larchmont, N.Y., and I have a lifetime membership with the Brewster Rotary Club. I like to read and we watch movies. I like to do things around the house, although thereâs not much to do living in a condo.
Do you have a favorite book? I like mystery writers, like Jack Higgins and James Patterson. Iâve read every book by Robert Ludlum. Jack Higgins wrote a lot about wars, so I like his writing.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? We went to Anegada in the British Virgin Islands several times, and love it. I went to Italy once and fell in love with it. Iâd love to go back.
What is the best thing about Newtown? Working at Flagpole Realty. I like the people here. Itâs small, itâs independent. Newtown is a charming town.
Who do you most admire? The actor, Alan Alda. I like the work heâs done, and how he was active in the womenâs rights movement.
Do you have a personal philosophy? I got this from my mother, and it was continued in Rotary: Service above self. I really feel itâs important to give back, and not just money.
What makes you happiest? Eating good food. We love sushi. We have a sushi chef we follow all over. Right now, heâs at Bamboo in Danbury, a new place.