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Fort Wayne Community Schools will say good-bye to 123 retirees with nearly 3,300 combined years of service at the annual retirement dinner Thursday, May 15.
The district wishes the best to the teachers, bus drivers, classroom assistants, custodians, administrators and others who dedicated many years to making the lives of children better. The years of service for this year’s group of retirees range from 10 to 44, and each year made a difference to students.
The following are the retirees FWCS honors this year:
| Retiree Name | Position | Years |
| Jerry Durst | Holland, Special Education Teacher | 44 |
| Russell Bush | Snider, Science Teacher | 43 |
| James Emmerson | Franke Park, Principal | 43 |
| Ronald Long | Weisser Park, P.E. Teacher | 43 |
| Sandy Sunderland-Willis | Pyramid for Success Director | 43 |
| Michael Danley | Snider, Business Teacher | 42.5 |
| Steve Simmons | Northrop, Assistant Principal | 42.5 |
| Ruth Ann Bever | Franke Park, Fifth-Grade Teacher | 42 |
| Willard Brown | Bus Driver | 42 |
| Janice Waterfall | Blackhawk, Language Arts Teacher | 42 |
| J. Michael Caywood | Holland, Principal | 41 |
| Richard Davis | Northrop, Media Teacher | 41 |
| Daniel Vought | Snider, A/V-Media Teacher | 41 |
| Christine Danley | Holland, Fifth-Grade Teacher | 40.5 |
| Jerry Zent | Shawnee, P.E. Teacher | 40.5 |
| Donna Beebe | Arlington, Kindergarten Teacher | 40 |
| Ruth Hayes | Weisser Park, Fourth-Grade Teacher | 40 |
| Rebecca Schaefer | Weisser Park, Assistant Principal | 40 |
| Michael Schnelker | North Side, Assistant Principal | 40 |
| Jane Ensley | Holland, ELL Teacher | 39.5 |
| Russell Isaacs | Snider, Athletic Director | 38 |
| Nancy Shriner | Weisser Park, Fourth-Grade Teacher | 38 |
| Albert Jacquay II | Northrop, Art Teacher/FWEA President | 37.5 |
| James Rousseau | Snider, Science Teacher | 37 |
| Mary Baker | Weisser Park, Third-Grade Teacher | 36.5 |
| Linda Hamrick | Wayne, P.E. Teacher | 36 |
| Judith Williams | Anthis, Barr Street Café Manager | 36 |
| Gary Beihold | Transportation/Technology, Project Leader | 34.5 |
| Caryl Ball | Bloomingdale, Second-Grade Teacher | 34 |
| Nancy Critell | Harris, Student Interventionist | 34 |
| Cecilia Curry | Bus Driver | 34 |
| Judith Christie | Bus Driver | 33 |
| Kathy Veltum | Memorial Park, Baker | 32.5 |
| Deborah Hartman | Towles, 9-12 Teacher | 31 |
| Ellen Farmer | Shambaugh, Secretary | 31 |
| John Halter | Jefferson, Science Teacher | 31 |
| Jody Hyder | Special Education, Secretary | 31 |
| Diane Havert | St. Joseph Central, Media Clerk | 30 |
| Diane Joustra | Brentwood, Special Education Teacher | 30 |
| Judy Land | Transportation, Manager | 30 |
| Alice Pettit | Holland, Secretary | 29 |
| Mable Smith | Washington Center, Media Clerk | 29 |
| Susan Steinmetz | St. Joseph Central, Fourth-Grade Teacher | 29 |
| Clare Townsel | Arlington, First-Grade Teacher | 29 |
| Linda Klenke | Snider, Science Teacher | 28.5 |
| Philip Muhleman | Maintenance & Operations, Assistant Manager | 28.5 |
| Alan Dinger | Maintenance & Operations, Plumber | 28 |
| Deborah Liddy | Franke Park, Instructional Assistant | 28 |
| William Redmaster | Northcrest, Kindergarten Teacher | 28 |
| Richard Swincher | Maintenance & Operations, Asst. Coord. for Energy Mgmt. | 28 |
| Linda Thompson | Study, Instructional Assistant | 27.5 |
| Jacquelyn Andrews | Haley, Instructional Assistant | 27 |
| Nancy Barrett | Curriculum, Secretary | 27 |
| Ellen Louise Bopp | Shambaugh, Cafeteria Manager | 27 |
| Marilyn Buchheit | Lincoln, Instructional Assistant | 27 |
| Raye Jacobs | Holland, Instructional Assistant | 27 |
| Janet Johnson | Miami, Cafeteria Manager | 27 |
| Marianna Kidder | Shambaugh, Media Clerk | 27 |
| David Garvin | Anthis, Automotive Teacher | 26.5 |
| Diana Slusser | Holland, Instructional Assistant | 26.5 |
| Timothy Springer | Bus Driver | 26.5 |
| Sandy Griffin | Special Education, Psychologist | 26 |
| Linda Grohovsky | Miami, Special Education Teacher | 26 |
| Susan Knight | Forest Park, Instructional Assistant | 26 |
| Elizabeth Liechty | Jefferson, Spanish Teacher | 26 |
| William Watson Jr. | Snider, Administrative Assistant | 26 |
| Rose Huston | Franke Park, Media Clerk | 25.5 |
| Penny Kirkman | Bus Driver | 25.5 |
| Barbara Shaidnagle | Towles, Resource Teacher | 25.5 |
| Alice McComb | Shambaugh, Third-Grade Teacher | 24 |
| Marcia Tulley | Shambaugh, Kindergarten Teacher | 24 |
| Nancy Caywood | Lincoln, Second-Grade Teacher | 23.5 |
| Claudia Gimbel | Blackhawk, Math Teacher | 23 |
| Reid LeFavour | Holland, Music Teacher | 23 |
| Sally Mowrer | Lakeside, Building Coach | 23 |
| Spencer Brewer | Bus Driver | 22 |
| Kristina Bunn | Transportation, Coordinator of Special Ed. Routing | 22 |
| Leila Finley | Arlington, Instructional Assistant | 22 |
| Derrell Gatson | Memorial Park, Math Teacher | 22 |
| Mary Kathryn Haut | Shawnee, Language Arts Teacher | 22 |
| Jeanette Sanders | Whitney Young, Art Teacher | 22 |
| Joann Piatt | South Side, ELL Teacher | 21.5 |
| Barbara Ahlersmeyer | Northrop, Principal | 21 |
| Patricia Christie | Anthis, Health Careers Teacher | 21 |
| Bruce Crist | Snider, Social Studies Teacher | 21 |
| Patty Mahocker | Towles, Montessori Assistant | 21 |
| Michael Rich | LC Ward, Teacher | 21 |
| Linda Sullivan | Shambaugh, Art Teacher | 21 |
| Dianne Wisel | Special Education, Teacher | 21 |
| Barbara Kuntz | Fairfield, Art Teacher | 20.5 |
| Theresa Manck | Blackhawk, Special Education Teacher | 20 |
| Theresa Noonan | Towles, Student Interventionist | 20 |
| Cynthia Grodrian | Whitney Young, Pre-K Teacher | 19.5 |
| Sara Nelson | Maintenance & Operations, Secretary | 19.5 |
| Dana Bromelmeier | Bunche, 3-6 Teacher | 19 |
| Judith Panoch | Scott Academy, Special Education Teacher | 19 |
| Sharon Bredemeyer | Wayne, English Teacher | 18.5 |
| Jerry Amstutz | Northrop, Social Studies Teacher | 18 |
| Victoria Brouwer | Snider, Counselor | 18 |
| Olga Birkner | Payroll Clerk | 17.5 |
| Sandra Sechler | Study, Instructional Assistant | 17.5 |
| Anne Grawcock | Human Resources, HR Specialist | 17 |
| Frank Kahn | Maintenance & Operations, Groundskeeper | 17 |
| Stephen Long | Northrop, Science Teacher | 17 |
| Victoria Sims | Special Education, Teacher | 17 |
| Cheryl Sanders | Bus Driver | 16.5 |
| Lynn Evans | Bus Driver | 16 |
| Sondra Glidewell | Northrop, Business Teacher | 16 |
| Gerald Wilson | Bus Driver | 16 |
| Deborah Hyatt | Shambaugh, Alternative Teacher | 15 |
| Donna Kirwan-Leonidas | Washington, First-Grade Teacher | 15 |
| Belinda Moreno | Study, ELL Teacher | 15 |
| Therese Wallace | Towles, 9-12 Teacher | 15 |
| Claire Dollarhite | Fairfield, Media Clerk | 14.5 |
| Gary Lake | Transportation Director | 14.5 |
| Dennis Ramsey | Maintenance & Operations, Groundskeeper | 14.5 |
| William Tester | Wayne, ROTC | 14.5 |
| Mary Wood | Weisser Park, Music Teacher | 14.5 |
| Shirley Ellis | Indian Village, Instructional Assistant | 13.5 |
| Barbara Guevara | Weisser Park, Instructional Assistant | 12 |
| James Perry | Bus Driver | 11.5 |
| Pinkie Irby | Snider, School Assistant | 11 |
| John Wood | Snider Math Teacher | 10 |
With nearly 30,000 students, Fort Wayne Community Schools is one of the largest school districts in Indiana. FWCS proudly allows families to choose any of its 50 schools through its successful school-choice program creating diversity in each school, including some with more than 75 languages spoken. FWCS offers seven magnet schools focusing on areas such as science and math, communication, fine arts or Montessori at the elementary and middle school level. In high school, students can choose from the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, Project Lead the Way or New Tech Academy as well as other rigorous academic and specialty training programs.