W.J. Cherf was born in Chicago in 1952. He graduated from Indiana University – Bloomington in 1974 with a degree in Anthropology and then continued his education at Loyola University of Chicago with degrees in Egyptian Archaeology and Ancient History. He has traveled extensively throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and has excavated in Israel and Greece. He lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Sue, Foxbat 1 and Foxbat 2. They enjoy golf, road racing, and cheering for the Chicago Bears.