From age 7, Col. Francis Esposito wanted to be a lawyer. He entered the Air Force straight out of law school and spent 20 years as an Air Force judge advocate. After retiring from the Air Force, the 14-year Burke resident now works for the U.S. Coast Guard as a civilian environmental lawyer.
"I more or less fell into environmental law, somewhat ahead of the national movement," said Esposito, whose family includes wife Karen, daughter Dana and son Joseph. Dana Esposito is a student at Lynchburg College and Robinson Secondary School graduate, while Joseph Esposito is a current Robinson student.
Aside from his day job, Esposito is also active at Burke United Methodist Church as an usher and president of the men’s group, as well as volunteering with Boy and Girl Scouts. With his writing, Esposito is also a contributor to the Upper Room Ministries devotional guides, a set of daily Christian readings he began reading as a child.
Esposito also loves to run and hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
"I’ve been chasing that goal for nearly 25 years," he said.
Esposito enjoys living in Burke and such neighborhood spots as Spartan’s Restaurant and Burke Automotive. He hopes that the housing market will continue to allow young families to move into the area, he said.
How long have you been writing?
I wrote a weekly column in my high school newspaper. Since then, you would not find my byline anywhere outside of Bar Journals, military magazines and other obscure publications. I offer devotions at the men’s breakfasts and one of those evolved into the most recent Upper Room entry.
What do you hope your devotionals bring to readers?
My mother taught me to read The Upper Room when I was very little. My first contribution to that publication was about Mom. I think of my late mother every time I pick up a copy of the publication. While I can’t say it has been a part of each and every day of my life, I can say it has been a bright spot for many of them. I hope that somewhere a mother might be using the magazine as mine did, to get her children to think about things greater than themselves.
Is there a Biblical passage that speaks to you and why?
The Sermon on the Mount has been most meaningful to me, and to millions of others through the ages. Its simple, but profound message makes it easy to understand why it is regarded as one of the greatest speeches ever.