Born and raised in Worcester Massachusetts where he graduated from high school and shortly thereafter joined the US Navy where he served as an 

 Engineroom Operator and Technical Manager in five ships over the next 27 plus years. When he left the service he returned to Massachusetts and briefly served as a deputy sheriff in Worcester County. Additionally he began another career in managing power plants where he was able to use his skills learned on ships. 

After retiring from that industry, he operated a small transportation business in North Carolina for a short while.