
He was born January 27, 1932 to William Hobart and Hazel (Zettle) Straley in North Baltimore.
He attended North Baltimore public school during his grade school years from 1937-1942 and graduated from Van Buren High School in 1949.
He joined the Air Force during the Korean War on April 10, 1951 and served until April 10, 1955. He was an Air Craft and Engine (A&E) mechanic and a Jet Engine Specialist. He served in Germany with the 1st Pilotless Bomber Squadron as part of the Occupational Force in Germany and as part of the NATO Forces during the Cold War.
He married his high school sweetheart, Mary Anne Leaf, on October 18, 1952.
He farmed in the North Baltimore area until 1969 and worked at Cooper Tire and Rubber Company for 34 years retiring in the spring of 1993.