Born on October 23, 1906, in Quincy, MA, he prepared for college at Norwood (MA) High School and worked for three years before entering Bowdoin in September of 1927. Following his graduation in 1931, he worked for some years with a paint manufacturing firm in Norwood and, in 1939, became a salesman with an optical company in Boston. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Europe and was awarded two Bronze Stars for bravery. He attended the Massachusetts School of Optometry in 1946 and then worked in Massachusetts for some years. In 1957, he moved to Portland, OR, and in 1958 to CA, where for some years he was associated with Pierce Realty. He also worked for the U.S. Postal Service in San Mateo, CA, before his retirement. He was married to Evelyn Gilberts, who predeceased him.