Gregory Brady and Walter DeFord have been coming to Unity Church of Clearwater for about 15 years at the encouragement of friend and 6th row regular Micki Cobb. Busy careers have limited them to weekly Sunday attendance but without a lot of other involvement. Now, that they are free of some former work responsibilities, that is beginning to change. They would both like to become more involved and are encouraged to serve on any of our volunteer teams where they feel led to serve!
Neither Gregory nor Walter has attended another Unity church. Walter, born in Stafford Springs, CT, was raised Catholic. At 18, he moved to Miami to attend the University of Miami and since then, Florida has been his home. He came to Pinellas County in 1996, after returning from up north to take care of his mother Barbara until her transition. Gregory’s grandparents, with whom he attended church, were missionary Baptists. He was born in Huntsville, AL, where his father and grandfather worked in the space industry at NASA. He moved here when his father took a job in Florida and has lived in Dunedin since 1974.
This month, Gregory and Walter, who met in 1997, will celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary. Together for nearly 20 years, they were legally married in Lake Tahoe in August 2008. They have two canine children, Oliver and Violet, both Dachshunds, and they are also fortunate in having relatives live nearby, including Gregory’s mother, brother and his husband and Walter’s father, stepmother and brother.
Gregory, a cosmetologist, and Walter own Salon GW, located on a prime Main Street corner in Dunedin, where he has worked for over 30 years. The founder and past president of the Downtown Dunedin Merchants Association, Gregory has coordinated and promoted many popular events in Dunedin. He has also served the beauty industry as an educator and platform artist in nationwide shows, classrooms and networks like HSN.
A graduate of the University of Miami with a degree in education, Walter taught autistic students for 15 years in south Florida. After coming to Pinellas County, he worked as an oncology practice office manager, as well as for Air Canada. A former general manager at Beso Del Sol Resort he, currently assists a friend at Dunedin’s Holiday Inn Express. His full time job is managing their businesses, real estate and family.
The combined experience of Walter and Gregory, especially in the hospitality industry, is a promising advantage in their future plans. Their long-time goal is to eventually move to Guanacaste, Costa Rica in the northwest Pacific Coast of the country. Although they intend to maintain their “Sunbirds” residence here, they look forward to living in Costa Rica and to possibly opening a small resort. Their compatible backgrounds prepare them for that move where the events business is great.