I have lived in Illinois most all of my life.  I was born in Joliet, IL in 1948, moved to Rock Island in 1953, to Alton in 1963 where I attended and graduated from Alton High School.  I then attended the University of Illinois, starting in Electrical Engineering, interning with McDonnell Douglas Corporation in St. Louis, but finally floundering on Physics.  I transferred into Sociology and graduated with my BA in Sociology in 1970.  I started Seminary at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago in 1970, but took a leave of absence after 1 year. During my leave, before returning to seminary and graduating in 1978, I finished what I had started at the U. of Il, by attending a Jr. College in Chicago and getting a certificate in Electronics Repair.  I then took a job at Zenith Radio Corporation and did work on a repair bench at the end of a 12-band radio assembly line.  Tiring of that, I moved to Scotland and worked on an oil rig in the North Sea for two years, first as a roustabout and then as a roughneck.  I married, had a baby, and came in from the sea and took a job at a cement factory, making concrete blocks.  When my first child, Rebecca, was 8 months old my wife, Rebecca, and I moved back to Chicago where I re-enrolled in Seminary and finished my Master's of Divinity degree in 1978. 

Following graduation my wife needed to do a stint of education in Philadelphia, Pa, to complete her midwifery training and U.S. certification.  While out there I built a toolbox for myself and advertised as a Handyman.  I soon was plenty busy repairing windows and doors, installing trimwork, refinishing hardwood floors, remodeling baths and kitchens, etc.  After my wife completed her training we moved to Southern Illinois where I took up ministry with the United Methodists. Aside from getting to know farmers and coal-miners for the first time, I also had the unique joy of seeing my 2nd daughter, Megan, born at home. 

 After two years in Vergennes, IL, we moved to Peoria, IL, where I did two years of hospital training for Chaplaincy at Methodist Medical Center. I found I had a knack for chaplaincy work, and sought and found a chaplain's position at McDonough District Hospital in Macomb, IL.  I held that job from 1983 until 1998 or so. 

During that time I bought and restored two older homes, one country house and one city Bungalow.  I rediscovered my love for wood, tools and houses.  After leaving the chaplaincy, I again advertised as a handyman/carpenter, and was soon busy with carpentry, painting and remodeling.

Bless This House Inspections is an outgrowth of Bless This House Construction.  After 10 years in the residential remodeling and rehabilitation business, I was advised by friends that I would do well to help others in the house-buying process.  I took this to heart.  After taking the requisite pre-licensure training, and then passing my State of Illinois Exam, I was issued my Home Inspector's license.  I have subsequently taken training in Mold Testing, Radon Measurement, Electrical Systems Inspections, Structural Inspections and Infrared Camera Scanning.

Part of maintaining my state license and my membership in the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors requires me to stay current in my field and to be constantly learning.  This is not a problem at all.  My desire to always bring my best to my clients drives me to stay at the top of my profession.

To that end, I now bring a state-of-the-art Infrared Scanner to my inspecctions and can provide amazingly accurate photos of the presence or absence of insulation inside the walls of a structure.  No inspector without an Infrared Scanner can do this.  I trained for one full week with Snell Infrared on the theories of Thermodynamics and the applications of IR cameras in Building Envelope diagnostics as well as predictive maintenance in industrial settings.  Following that course, and examination, I was issued a  Level I Certified Thermographer certificate.

I grew up in Illinois and have been a resident of Macomb, IL since 1983.  I love this community and cherish the opportunity to help its residents new and old,  make informed and wise choices when it comes to the important decision of choosing which house to call home.

Now, while loving my work as a Home Inspector, carpenter and part-time pastor at two local churches, I still cherish the times I can load the canoe on the car and head off to a river or lake.  Happy trails to you!  Here's a recent picture of Mari with our trusty 50-year old canoe on the Current River.