Grand Haven Mens Golf Assoc.

Richard was born in on a sunny day in 1944 along with his twin brother Skip.  Growing up in the Olney section of Philadelphia he attended Olney High School and went on to Temple University where he earned a BS and MBA degree. All the while enjoying the full Philadelphia experience – cheese steaks, soft pretzels, and pepper pot soup.

 

He and his wife Dottie married in 1965 and have two children.  First born is Laura now living in Palm Coast Plantation, and Andrew living in Northern Virginia. Laura moving to Florida was the key to us also moving to enjoy the weather here.  We were on vacation in Cinnamon Beach when we visited Grand Haven and fell in love with the place.  There were only two homes for sale in June 2021 and we snapped up the second one we visited – a lovely home in the Fairway’s Edge section.

 

Richard got drafted into the US Army in 1968 during the height of the Vietnam War.  Married and with a child it wasn’t the best of situations getting drafted at the ripe old age of 24.  I seemed like the “dad” to all the 18–19-year-olds with whom I suffered through basic training.  Happily, though and through some good fortune after basic I was assigned Ft Sill, Oklahoma for advanced training to become an artillery surveyor.  Again, through some good fortune, after the advanced training I was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 31st Artillery in Ft. Sill.  This unit wasn’t going anywhere soon as they just returned from a tour in Germany.  I was assigned to the position of S1 battalion clerk, I guess because of a college degree and some skills in typing.  In any event it wasn’t hard to excel as a draftee enlisted man and after 17 months, I achieved the rank of Specialist Six (E-6) and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. 

 

After my tour of duty, I earned a living in various healthcare and related positions including The Woods School in Langhorne, PA and Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia.  In 1984 I took a position as Vice President for Administration of AmeriChoice Corporation, which later became a division of United HealthCare.  This position required a move from our home in Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia where AmeriChoice was headquartered.  This division managed all the Medicare and Medicaid HMOs of United HealthCare.  I was assigned a variety of duties and did a lot of traveling and had temporary assignments including Phoenix, Philadelphia, Houston, Eau Claire, Newark, and New York City.  I retired in 2007 and eventually moved back to Pennsylvania to enjoy the bulk of our family there.

 

Golf-wise, just an ordinary 20 handicapper but I do have five hole-in-ones.  One in Pennsylvania and four at Westwood Country Club in Vienna Virginia where we enjoyed a 21-year membership.  Still working on number 6 here at Grand Haven.

 

In closing what can I say about Grand Haven and the golf club and many new friends – Love it!