g
vin
r
e
s
l
il
t
S
,
g
on
s!
r
r
t
e
S
m
s
o
st
ear
u
c
Y
t
0
s
4
r
Over ur very fi
O
Springer. “He knew what service
was. He’d rather do things for some-
one than have them do things for
him. Look at all the kids whose
son
ander
S
y
lives he has touched.
l
l
Bi
on •
Look at all the kids
s
r
e
d
San
who worked for him
rilyn
a
M
that learned a work ethic
rd •
rizza
G
r
from Roger. If every kid
e
Rog
in America had a Roger
Grizzard as their teacher,
we’d all be much better off.”
Not only did Roger teach
young people about real
world economics, he taught
them about the value of paying
it forward. When he “gave
back,” he usually brought his
teenaged posse with him.
“Roger and his crew did over
30 Spaghetti Suppers for The
Senior Center,” Nadeen Murphree,
rst
said. “The last few years the Evening
the fi
were arilyn
y
l
l
i
Lions Club helped him with the
nd B onth. M We
lyn a
Mari e of the m lays this. yal
.
s
r
fundraiser.” While no one can forget
o
e
o
p
o
y
it’s d rst emplo oudly dis ving our l !
r
a
i
r
ened
those Spaghetti Suppers, few remem-
ce op the very f lace still p nd love se s our Pizz
a
l
P
Pizza illy was . Pizza P ounty, a who love
e
h
ber how they began.
T
B
t
le
r C
5,
ne
f 197 ly that, bu st $5.00 sa s in Parke d everyo
“In 1976, we walked into Roger
an
gust o
ir
es
on
In Au ers. Not ay of the f ing busin lin, Billy,
l
y
m
nd
Grizzard’s Pizza Place to have lunch
custo ing a disp a long sta k you Mar
d
l
n
e
o
a
b
h
h
o
T
s
i
.
d t
with Yvonne Null, a representative
y day
onore
are h mers ever
from the North Central Texas Council
o
t
s
cu
of Governments,” recalls Jerry Fisher,
~
ering
t
a
C
the first Executive Director of the
Do
Also
Parker County Senior Center. “The
e
W
~
Parker County Committee on Aging
0591
-
4
had received grant funding from
9
5
817-
NCTCOG for the Weatherford Senior
Center to serve meals, provide trans-
ST.
N
I
Parker County Today
portation, social activities, etc. Over
MA
.
S
Pizza Place Ad
lunch, I was asked how we planned
18
2
1
August 2017
to raise local matching funds for this
Honoring
the
grant. In the course of the conversa-
First
Customer
and First
tion, Roger came over to our table
Employee
of
the
Month
to see if we needed anything and
introduced himself. I responded to
to teenagers from his classes.
companies successful. “He had a
Roger that I needed a plan to raise
He also had a unique talent for
good product, there’s no doubt about
thousands of dollars in local match-
teaching his government students in
that,” Nuttall said, “but what made
ing funds to support the Weatherford
an interesting, down-to-earth manner.
the business a success was Roger.
Senior Center. Roger offered to help
Roger would teach students about
Even if his food hadn’t been great, it
by serving spaghetti dinner one night
the reality of the political system
still would have succeeded because
to as many people as we could sell
and how government and elections
everybody would have still eaten
tickets. That is how I came to know
impact the lives of everyone.
there just to see Roger.”
Roger as a compassionate, servant
His students were often invited to
As an economics teacher and a
leader who contributed generously
business owner, Roger was able to
his restaurant on election nights to
to the success of the Parker County
show his students the practical appli-
provide them with an opportunity to
Committee on Aging … . This great
cation of the economic principles he
watch history unfold before their eyes
man will be missed.”
was teaching them. He brought his
and to give them an opportunity to
Bob Nuttall recalls that time when
business skills with him to the class-
discuss election results and how the
he and Roger were young business-
room and often he brought his class-
men, working to make their fledgling
room to his business, as he gave jobs
Continued on page 20
T
S
U
R
T
R ST!
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O
Y
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PU OUR CRU
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