I have lived mostly in Texarkana, Arkansas since the age of three. I attended public schools here and then earned a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Arkansas. Upon graduation I worked for a couple of years in a product development lab for IBM in Rochester, MN, before joining the Peace Corps and serving in Eswatini, from 1969-1970. I returned to Texarkana and joined my father in an engineering/ land surveying business. We worked together for 43 years until his death in 2014. I continue to work and have recently sold the records of the company to another firm for whom I now work. My plan is to retire or semi-retire sometime this coming year and move to East End Commons. This will fulfill several goals: to live in a large city, be near the ocean and live in a cohousing community.

I have been involved in several civic organizations, including Haven Home, and Habitat for Humanity. Working with a local farmer and extension agent helped start the Gateway Farmers’ Market in Texarkana, Arkansas. I worked as a volunteer at a cancer treatment center after my wife’s death. I am currently chair of the City Beautiful Commission of Texarkana, Arkansas and a member of the Red Dirt Master Gardeners.

Politics and public service have been an important aspect of my life. I served several years on the city’s planning commission followed by two terms on the Board of Directors of Texarkana, Arkansas.  I was elected as a Justice of the Peace in Miller County in 2022. I have been a member of the Democratic Party of Miller County for the last 20 years and currently serve as treasurer of the committee.

I was married to Patricia Haywood-Hall from April1, 1972 until her death in 2008. From this marriage there are one daughter, Velvet Cool; three grandchildren, Ariel, Hastings and Alyssa; and nine great-grandchildren. I currently live with my eldest granddaughter, Ariel, and her four children. I was raised as a Presbyterian, became a Buddhist and am now a member of SGI-USA, a Nichiren Buddhist organization. My hobbies include motorcycling, travel, sailing, woodworking, cooking, reading and listening to music.

​After reading about Denmark cohousing, I have looked for a project to join. I attended a cohousing conference in Boulder, CO about 10 years ago and in 2015 became part of a group in the Dallas/Denton area attempting a formation. The interest of the group dissipated but because of this effort I attended a retreat in Arizona dealing with conflict in community and a project in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Since then, I also investigated a project in Tulsa, OK. However, these Oklahoma projects are not located in places where I want to live. A Facebook post from the Foundation for Intentional Community listing CoHousing Houston reignited my interest. Coincidentally, the purchase of a sailboat in Houston (now at the Kemah Boardwalk Marina) introduced me to the many benefits this area has to offer. After attending a retreat and visiting with community partners, I felt the CoHousing (now East End Commons) Houston and the city are a good fit for me.

I still have quite a few ends to tie up here in Texarkana but my plan is to permanently move into the community by the middle of next year. I will also be learning to sail better and continuing to develop with my granddaughter a small farm we started a couple of years ago on a 37-acre parcel of land that is an inheritance from my grandfather.