Tom: After attending Ohio University as a young man I spent 4 years in the Navy, and then went on to work with my brother Jerry in Maryland from 1975-1994 in real estate. Then I transitioned to Railey Realty, a company in the Deep Creek, Maryland area. Later, Jerry and I reconnected as business partners and began our work together at  Garrettland Property Management where we continued until 2014. I have seen a lot of ups and downs in the world of real estate during my career!

Jerry: I attended Ohio University with Tom for a year, and then transferred to University of Florida, where I majored in Journalism.  I went on to work in property management in the mid-90s, and managed large complexes of over 600 units for a large firm in Western Maryland. I also became a certified real estate appraiser in Maryland, West Virginia, and Georgia, and still hold my appraiser’s credentials today along with my real estate broker’s license. My daughter Brianna attended Savannah College of Art and Design and that led me to move down south. Tom later joined me and we recently purchased a property together about 20 minutes from Savannah.

 

Jerry: Severn was still an all-male school with about 50 or so boarders. When we moved from our very small rural community of Oakland, MD (then population 1100) to attend Severn it was a big culture shock.  We lived in a large U-shaped building on campus that spilled down to the banks of the Severn River. There were two floors, a common hallway with a courtyard, and a student smoking area! Teel Hall at that time was a classic, ivy covered brick building and we spent a lot of our time there.

Tom: Yes, when we moved here as teens it was really a strange world in the “big cities” of Severna Park, Annapolis, and Washington, D.C. We didn’t know anyone at all, and things were very different here than they were back at home—folks also did things differently and our eyes were opened. We enjoyed playing football, and I served on the student council and The Anchor. The late 60’s and early 70’s were also very trying times in our country. There was a lot of experimentation and desire for personal freedom. You could say that the Class of 1970 at Severn marked the end of a certain era.

Jerry: Even though it was a trying time in our culture, our teachers at Severn had the foresight to keep students on track.

 

Jerry: Mr. Spicer, the Dean of Discipline. He was the perfect model of a disciplinarian, and he emphasized the value of honesty. He was strict, but never held a grudge after you were the subject of discipline. He provided structure in a way that got a clear message across: one of the most important and rewarding attributes in living a good life is honesty.

Tom: Yes, we actually got caught fibbing senior year and Mr. Spicer set us straight. We’ve never forgotten that. I’ll also always remember Mr. Curry. He was a really put-together guy. He was a great coach and teacher—very athletic. He was always willing to listen. He was like a father figure to me—a real mentor. I also have great memories of Mr. Domenech and Mr. Bassford.

Jerry: And also Mr. Halstead and Mr. Kesmodel.

Tom: We were completely prepared for college. We learned how to have good interpersonal relationships. This has been really helpful in my life and my career.

Jerry: Common sense. You can’t really  instruct on the values of right and wrong with a book. You have to live those experiences. You can get knowledge from books, but the practical common sense I learned at Severn through my experiences has served me every day of my life. I’m grateful for that.