Somebody put a GPS chip into Tom Marvin, former BJ photographer, Ridgewood School District transportation supervisor and Monroe Township trustee who lives on a farm in Guernsey County, just north of Salt Fork State Park, near I-77 and north of Cambridge.

When he stays there, that is.

On September 30, Tom and Kay celebrated their 28^th wedding anniversary at a restaurant in nearby Cambridge, where east-west I-70 and north-south I-77 cross paths.

A few days later, they are in Golf Shores, Alabama having “a great dinner” (Tom’s words) with wife, Kay Ann Shaffer Marvin, and sister, Marty Marvin Stiner.

Tom darn near worn out one camper before he sold it, traveling to Yosemite National Park and roaming all over Alaska. They put in nearly 20,000 miles.

 

Even former BJ photographer Don Roese, no slouch himself when it comes to campers and traveling Alaska for months on end, gets a run for his money from Tom.

Tom and Kay have seven children between them. His are Steve Marvin, a bank assistant vice president who lives in Cambridge; Brian Marvin, who lives in Worthington, Ohio and is a Reynoldsburg, Ohio police detective; Misty Bellon, a registered nurse living in Eunice, Louisiana, who is married with a son, Nick; and Beth Marvin Stevens, a Los Angeles attorney, from Tom’s marriage to former BJ staffer and retired Hoover High School English and journalism teacher Pam McCarthy.

Kay’s children are Tim Wilson, an electric company forester in Florida; Debi Geese, who lives in Fresno, Ohio and is married with two children; and Brett Wilson, a contractor in Coshocton.

Tom and Kay have eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

And, apparently, a lot of time to travel around this great country of ours, including a flight to Hawaii for their 25^th wedding anniversary.

Tom retired from the BJ in 2001. Later, from the Ridgewood school district. His feet haven’t touched the ground since.

Quips Tom: “We travel a bit.” Ya think? They have been to all 50 states.

Hell, I think I’m a guy who gets around and I’ve been to only 44 states.

(But, Tom, you may need to spread your wings more if you want to catch up to me and the 55 countries that I’ve visited.)

 

Once we leave Ol' Blue Walls, the world is, indeed, our oyster.