Family News

This page is about the journey of members of my family…Hope you enjoy!

Kathi and I have three wonderful children and four very precious grandchildren of whom we are very proud. 

• Chad is our oldest.  He was born in 1971 in Fort Worth, Texas while I was in seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  He spent most of his life in West Virginia until recently. While attending high school, Chad excelled as a basketball player and cross-country runner as well as being a member of the All-County band.   He attended Marshall University and was co-captain of the cross country team.  It was while running cross country that he met and married Joelle Mallila from New Hampshire.  They moved there and Chad graduated from Keene State University.   They later moved back to West Virginia where Chad taught for several years at Teays Valley Christian School.  He also was Athletic Director and coached both middle and high school basketball, leading the middle school team to an undefeated record and leading the high school team to runner-up in the state championship game.  In the spring of 2005 Chad took a position as history teacher in San Antonio, Texas at Castle Hills First Baptist School.  Joelle is a wonderful wife and mother and has become like a daughter to us.  She also has become a teacher of pre-school children.  Whatever she does is done with passion and love for all her little charges.  In addition Joelle has tried her hand at coaching volleyball and basketball and is becoming quite good in her own right.

• Stacye is also a native Texan, born in Fort Worth in 1972.  Growing up in West Virginia she was our little scholar, sailing through her private school education and graduating second in her class as Salutatorian.  In addition she was first chair flute in the high school band, and a member of All-County Band.  Following high school Stacye, following her natural gifts of loving and caring about others,  graduated from the prestigious St. Mary’s School of Nursing and then surprised us by meeting and marrying her wonderful Spanish gentleman, Fernando Ibanez.  After working as a nurse for a short time in Sarasota, Florida, Stacye made her way to West Virginia to join her new husband and she began work at Charleston’s Womens and Childrens Hospital in the Neo-natal ICU as well as being a leader in their excellent Transport program.  Fernando, is a great husband and father and Kathi and I love him very much.  He is the Webmaster for the State Department of Education in West Virginia.  His website is one of the best in the nation among state departments of education.  Check it out @ http://wvde.state.wv.us  

• Nathan is our only native West Virginian.  He was born in Charleston in 1976.  From the beginning he has been our drama king and socialite. From the earliest days of his life he had the ability to make people around him feel good about themselves. His quick wit and humor have always been a blessing to his family and friends.   Nathan has always been a person who cares deeply about others, makes friends easily.  Kathi and I are known as Nathan’s parents by many who know him.  We have no name…just Nathan’s parents.  His high school years led him to several awards, including All-County Chorus, and a number of school productions.   After graduation from high school Nathan worked in West Virginia and Indiana as a bank teller and also attended the University of Indianapolis for 1 year.  Through the years he has honed his singing skills, being trained by some of the finest teachers in classical voice.  After college Nathan made a major move to New York City, attended and graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy.  Now he is one of New York’s budding actors, waiting for his break.  While waiting he toured with a few road and summer stock groups building his resume’.  Most recently, however, he has been hired by the very Pestigious Julius Baer financial investment group as an Administrative Assistant.