floor window, anxious to add an instant three years to his life so he could join us. Of other teachers who have gone on, Jan Jenner, science teacher, once shamed Frank Mahoney and myself into sliding down an aluminum chute into a frigid Lake George. My system has never quite recovered! Jan achieved distinction as a novelist and Ph.D. botanist. Rey Buono now heads the drama department of the University of Singapore, but while here wrote some memorable chapters in the annals of Saint David’s. It was in his extra-class role as producer, director, conductor, and overall factotum of several Gilbert and Sullivan productions that held us, his colleagues, in thrall and at times gave us concern for his well being. The operettas were always great but left poor Rey drained and recumbent upon the faculty room couch. Nik Puspurica is one teacher whose presence is still with us in the many sketches he made of vari-
“The cavalcade of teachers that have populated Saint David’s have had in common a breadth of knowledge and a depth of character.”
ous faculty members. His creativity contrived imaginary situations where we would assemble as circus performers, garbed in strangely appropriate outfits, or picnickers in the 1920s at some mythical summer outing by a lake. Many of us still here are included in those antic and fantastic assemblages: Mrs. Rovena Kilkeary, Mr. Tom Ryan, Mr. Ray Feerick, Mrs. Thea Osborne, Dr. Paul Czuchlewski, and myself. Nik the artist, had been a bruising linebacker in high school and college, but as a fellow teacher was the gentlest of men, always on the edge of a laugh or an encouraging word. Jim Janowitz and John Sandler both taught here days and studied for the bar at night—practicing lawyers today. Annette Weisenstein’s parents had escaped Nazi Germany and eventually reached England. Annette reflected eternal gratitude for this family good fortune. The athletic field was a great place to witness a totally other side of colleagues. How else to bear testimony to the prowess of Joe Ramos, of our custodial staff, who could field and hit with uncanny ability. I have also watched Msgr. Tom Leonard send outfielders to the fence more than once a game. Randy Brooks, an accomplished gymnast, showed me he excelled in more than one sport as he managed 48 points against my feeble defense in a Coaches vs. Faculty basketball game. Bob Ginard, a former Christian Brother, taught language here, but it was as a rebounder extraordinaire that he gave the faculty its first real chance to beat the coaches. Rich Remson and Bill Keely coached here also, but it was
their hilarious reenactment of a WWF bout between two battling behemoths that kept us in stitches many an afternoon. There were vacation play groups back in the sixties where we would bus boys to Bear Mountain, West Point, Idelwild Airport, City Island for day trips. I was a new teacher and three colleagues, Mary Jo Gellen, Lorraine Frenza, and Donna Dunkel were very helpful to me, ushering very small children around very dangerous walrus enclosures at the Coney Island Aquarium! The wonder of time is at the center of the human experience. Teachers, especially, are unique in that their contemporaries are 20, 30 or more years their junior. Once the age of an older brother, the teacher moves on to become somewhat of a father figure, only to be finally viewed, if he remains, as positively avuncular. But at every age, he shares his ideas and conversations with contemporaries ranging from seven to fourteen in age. It is the same with colleagues. When we were part of that phenomenon—the Saint David’s family—the difference in our individual ages was, for the most part, unnoticeable. It was only important that we shared common concerns as the school year unfolded. And more, we took great pleasure in the cycles of the school year. We socialized at Christmas parties, sang carols at the Guggenheim, watched hockey playoffs in the music room, played plastic hockey with faculty and students in those pre-After School days, enjoyed a Met game in the legendary Toot Shor’s box seats (his son Rory is a Saint David’s alum.) We hit fungo shots at FDR Park to startled and delighted faculty children at the annual faculty picnic. Together, ???????
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