Dave and his wife, Margie, had some great ideas on how to spend their retirement. Then Margie died unexpectedly in 1993. Suddenly, Dave's world was turned upside-down.

"Your life completely changes," he tells us. "I was very fortunate that I had some interests to keep me going. I had done some writing in the 1960's. I wrote some articles for a trade magazine, but that's about it. So at that point in my life, I decided to go back to writing. Of course, I had no idea then that I'd end up publishing three books and be starting on a fourth! You never know where your interests will lead you."

Dave wrote his first book about Cape Ann, Massachusetts, a place with special significance to him and his wife, Margie. "All my books are human interest blended with history," he explains.
He looks healthy and fit, and when asked what his secret is, he laughs. "I'm only young on the outside," he says. "I keep very active. I write, and I sing in a barbershop quartet, and I have a part time job. I also have my family, including two grandsons. I enjoy spending time with them."

What advice can he offer people on the verge of retirement? "Keep busy," Dave tells us, "because I firmly believe that when you keep your mind active and interested, it has a positive effect on your physical make-up, as well. And I advise people to invest in permanent insurance with cash value. A Whole Life policy, for instance. Whole life doesn't run out. And when the stock market is experiencing a downturn, it's a good idea to have some permanent life insurance to offset it."

"You never know how things are going to go," Dave adds,"but if you try, you can write a happy ending for yourself, whatever happens."