JTCarrieres

After his birth in 1955 on an Air Force base in Marysville, Tennessee, Joe spent the first dozen years of his life moving around the country with his family every time his father was transferred. He enjoyed the nomadic life and always loved exploring new places and meeting people from all walks of life.

He graduated from Northern Arizona University at 19, joined the Army and completed Russian language training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA. Following his discharge, he completed a second degree in Russian at Arizona State University, taught high school for a year, then took a very different course in life--He entered The Dominican Order in Oakland, California to begin studies for the Roman Catholic priesthood. He took graduate studies both at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, as well as St. Thomas Seminary in Denver.

Fortunately for his two daughters (and new granddaughter), he left, married and helped bring them into the world. He spent his first career with the United States Postal Service, including a tour of duty in headquarters at L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, DC, where he was tasked with researching and writing the contents for "The Postmaster General Gift Book"--a publication which highlights all of the new stamp issues for the year and contains detailed information about each. He currently works at a major private university in the Office of Academic Records.

Joe remains a lifetime student and is looking forward to retirement so he can read more of the some 5000 books he now has on his computer and Kindle Reader. His passions range from philosophy and theology, history, biographies, politics, through all the sciences and the full range of fiction, which means he knows a little about a lot of things, and a lot about nothing in particular...

At 61, he considers himself very fortunate to be able to remain physically active. He bikes 15 miles round trip to work each day, still gets out on the basketball court regularly and the focal point is a hike each October at the Grand Canyon which goes Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. He has been making the trip for over 20 years now, with his brother and a good friend joining him for the past 10 years. Life is good, even when it seems to speed by more quickly with each year that passes!