He was educated in Marlbank, Tweed and at Regiopolis in Kingston, and attended teacher's college in 1949 following completion of Grade 13. He married Mary Barrett in 1953. He began his teaching career at CFB Petawawa, eventually rising to the position of principal after eight years. He then accepted a position of school inspector in the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville area. In 1969 he became the first director of education for the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville School Board. He retired from the education field in 1985, and subsequently began to pursue a career in politics.