Shaping Families

Sam Heatwole is a freelance voice talent in the Richmond, Va. area who excerpts James G. T. Fairfield's newest book, Frog Hollow Journal on Shaping Families programs. Sam is the son-in law of Fairfield, who for many years created radio programs for Third Way Media.

Sam was born in 1946 in Harrisonburg, Va. and was raised on a little farm near Keezletown, Va. After a four-year hitch in the Navy where he observed that the enlisted men made coffee and the officers drank it, and that the only difference between these two groups was college – he went to college. Sam graduated from James Madison University in 1972 with a degree in Speech and Drama. He married his soul mate Deborah Fairfield in '72 as well. Sam and his wife have two daughters, Megan, a speech pathologist, and Alexandra, a perennial student and teacher of English in Australia, into the world.

For 29 years Sam taught English, Speech and Drama for Hampton City Schools. He retired in 2001 and has since worked as a University Supervisor for the School of English Education at The College of William and Mary (2002-2008), a mentor for new teachers for Hampton City Schools (2001-present), adjunct English faculty at Thomas Nelson Community College (2002-present), and a voice specialist for radio/TV commercials (2001-present).

Sam is also active in his church, Hilton Presbyterian. He has served as an elder and sings in the choir. In his free time, Sam enjoys fixing things and tinkering with his model railroad, which he modeled after the Shenandoah Valley. Computers fascinate him, and he loves to tinker with them as well. Sam has also taken to golf, but it has yet to take to him, he says.

Frog Hollow Journal is available in our online store.