This is My Story
Originally written for and published in LakeRidge LIfe Magazine December 2020
When people hear that Marita moved to Lubbock when she married Chuck in December 2014, most assume they met as a result of online dating. But, no. They met in Santa Fe on October 7, 2013, at the opening reception of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association’s Annual Meeting. At the time, both were employed in the oil and gas industry. Chuck was the Manager of Financial Resources for a Slaton-based mud logging company. Marita was the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization that advocated on behalf of the energy industry. They dated long-distance for more than a year before they got married and Marita moved to Lubbock (her work could be done from anywhere). Together, they chose their home—overlooking Lakeridge’s first green.
Chuck and Marita are opposite in many ways but similar in the ones that are most important. Chuck’s life path has been straight and stable. He’s Perfect Melancholy/Peaceful Phlegmatic. Marita’s has been circuitous and varied. She’s Popular Sanguine/Powerful Choleric.
Chuck grew up in Abilene and went to college at Texas Tech. He graduated with his degree in accounting in 1983. As a Certified Public Accountant, he’s stayed in Lubbock and worked for several local firms before moving out on his own. He raised his two daughters, Hailey and Ashley here (both now live in Austin). Currently, he does taxes and accounting work for a select group of clients in the Lubbock area. His work for the mud logging company ended when it was forced out of business in early 2020 due to the extended oil glut/low prices. In his garage man-cave, he’s enjoying semi-retirement while watching sports and keeping his eyes open for new opportunities.
When asked where she’s from, Marita explains it this way: “First decade, Connecticut. Second and third, Southern California. Fourth and fifth: New Mexico. Now, Texas.” Marita spent the majority of her adult life traversing the country as a Christian motivational speaker and author. She’s written 20 books with her best-seller being Wired That Way (available free to Kindle Unlimited members) that was published in 2006 and is still selling so well that in 2019 it was made into an audiobook. When Marita’s marriage of 29 years ended, she felt she could no longer continue as a Christian leader and a speaker on relationships. It was then that she took the position advocating for America’s effective, efficient, and economical energy. In 2016, when low oil prices made fundraising nearly impossible, Marita and Chuck had a chat which resulted in her launching Triumph Properties Lubbock. Returning to her college major: interior design, Marita flipped five houses—three they owned and two were done for friends. That experience has morphed into a busy remodeling enterprise. Marita says: “I love projects where the homeowners have some ideas but don’t know how to make them come together.” She does near-daily progress reports of her projects which can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/victorioushomes. Of course, Chuck handles the financial end of the business.
Marita still does some occasional speaking on The Personalities and writes for Lakeridge Life Magazine. She loves to cook and entertain. She also does décor-specific, large-scale contemporary paintings (one of her paintings is featured in the top photo).
Together, Chuck and Marita attend Live Oak Community Church. They are members of the High Plains Wine and Food Foundation and enjoy attending Texas Tech sports.