Darryl met his wife, Mary, while attending pilot training at Moody Air Force Base in South Georgia. She was an athlete herself, performing several trapeze and trick roller skating acts with the Florida State University Circus, the only collegiate circus in the world. They married after a short courtship, and in July 2026 celebrated sixty years of marriage. “Without her love and support I’m quite sure my life would have turned out far differently, and not for the better,” Darryl admits.
Faith and Family
Darryl was introduced to church by his Mother while he was still an infant, and he regularly attended Sunday School classes and church from childhood. He has always had a firm belief in the Golden Rule, even though trial attorneys are prohibited from asking a jury to consider it.
Darryl has also studied commentaries on the Scriptures and taught Sunday School classes for both teens and adults for many years. His classes teaching older teenagers inspired him to write his first book, Core Values for the Young (and not so Young) Christian, available on this site’s NON-FICTION page. That book identifies twenty core values taught by Christ that are the basis for living the Christian life, including honesty and integrity, love, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and faith. The book provides a compelling focus for small group discussions where participants can explore how to incorporate these core values into their own character.
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“One of my goals in writing the Jordan & McKenzie series was to highlight two primary sources of strength and stability we have to deal with the stresses and life-changing events in modern life, and not only survive, but thrive: a supportive family—including extended family —and a strong religious faith. My hope is that the stories in this series will encourage readers to strengthen their family ties and re-examine their own spiritual life.
“Those who care about you and are most concerned about your wellbeing are your immediate family and the extended family you develop through church, work, or other activities. We all need support, advice, a word of encouragement, or at least a willing ear from time to time. Investing in family relationships will help ensure that others are there to help us deal with the struggles of modern life,” Darryl says.
Included in the author’s extended family is one very loved 12-year-old Labradoodle named Molly whose namesake appears throughout the second and third books in the trilogy.
