Natural abilities driven by passion to perform and produce describe my journey. Asthma from birth set life patterns in motion. Medical knowledge of this affliction and effective treatment were limited throughout childhood. Having a father who was a Diseases of the Chest specialist was propitious. He introduced sedentary universes of music, art, and reading that instilled early interests. To aid breathing, my mom taught me and a close younger sister to sing. Singing at school and church was usual. By high school, our vocal blend coalesced into a performing duo that continued through college. We won talent shows, attracted television venues, and were contacted for national auditions. Stage appearances were a precursor to musical theatre work.

Our parents paid for college educations with conditions: declare majors, obtain degrees, with an additional directive that I’m to become a professional man. Though veiled, this meant following in a family tradition of medical doctors. Finding the scholastic world rich with majors and degrees and among them were those for architectural studies. Out of step, I forged my own way and found the “become a professional” directive was fulfilled as an architect. After graduating and armed with education in a chosen field, a call offering adventure came from Alaska before its official Statehood. There, I met West Anchorage High School’s choral director. After writing and staging two musical reviews for her students, community recognition happened. A first residential commission came and by age twenty-four, the project started under construction. The structure garnered broad attention. My brand of architecture had a presence in Anchorage by the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. Out of the vast devastation, commissions abounded. My firm of one grew to an army of seventeen after Prudhoe Bay’s oil discovery that spurred statewide development.