HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 12Goderich Signa! -Star, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Page 11
St. Mary's community bids fond farewell to Drennan
Denny Snett
signal -star staff
It's the end of an era for St. Mary's school,
as they bid farewell to Adele Drennan, who
has served as secretary at the school for near-
ly thirty years.
Drennan, who started working at the school
in 1981, retired from St. Mary's on Monday.
Retirement was a tough choice for the 28 -
year veteran of the administrative side of ed-
ucation, but once she made it last July, she's
becoming more and more comfortable with
the idea.
"I've got some plans, I can't wait to spend
more time with my grandchildren, both Em-
ily here in Goderich, and Henry in Stratford,"
she said. "And I'm definitely looking forward
to a volunteer position I've expressed interest
in at the library. I want to help with the hands-
on aspects of cataloging the artifacts there, I
think it will be a very cool experience, and
I'm definitely looking forward to it."
Drennan is also looking forward to being
able to just 'pick up and go,' as she put it.
Mike, Drennan's husband, also recently re-
tired, so she is very excited for the next
part of her adventure.
"I'm ready to be at the stage in my life
where I can just hop in the car with my hus-
band and let the road take us where it will,"
she said.
Working at St. Mary's has been a real fam-
ily affair, as she began working at the school
when her children, Bartley and Debra, were
in Grades 3 and 6 respectively, and is now
there to see her granddaughter Emily start
school. Hers isn't the only multi -generation
family she's been there to oversee.
" i've seen students go through here, and
now I'm seeing their children go to St. Mary's,
and it's great. I don't think I've seen any third
generation families yet though," she said.
Some of Drennan's fondest memories are
the relationships at the: school.
"Be it the teachers that Fve become friends
with, or the students that come back years
later and remember me, or say hi to me on
the street, those are what make up the real
memories," she said.
"I feel blessed," Drennan said in corre-
spondence to The Signal -Star," when I think
of the many people I have worked with over
the years that have become friends for life."
As for the future of the school, Drennan
has been training her replacement Helen Van
Osch, and explained that things aren't going
to be the same, but remain just as great.
"It's going to be different, that's for sure,
but it will still be a great place to come ev-
eryday. I'm going to miss it, I've loved my
job," she said.
Lauren Doherty and Riley O'Keefe, two
senior students at the school, made some
comments about what makes Drennan so
great.
"Every time I'd come back from guitar,
she'd have my late slip ready to go, and a big
smile with it," O'Keefe said, with Doherty
adding, "She just knows who everyone is,
and that's a big part of why she's great."
Drennan worked in several places before
starting at St. Mary's, but none of them stuck
quite as well as this job did.
"I worked at Alexandra Marine and Gen-
eral Hospital in reception, until my children
were born," she said. "After I took some time
off with them, I started working at offices
around town; I worked at a small real state
office, then Lyons and Mullhern insurance,
I mostly covered replacement jobs. Then I
worked for Dr. Chan for quite awhile, then
the opportunity came to work at the school,
and I had to take it."
Drennan said her past experience really
helped prepare her for her time at St. Mary's,
as she used to work for Bell at a switchboard
center.
"While I was there, I directed phone calls,"
she said. "Directing calls is one of the things
I do now, so it's all lead up to this."
Drennan also said she got a lot of practice
for showing families the school while work-
ing at Bell, as she acted as a tour guide then.
Prior to her retirement, Drennan's last two
weeks included a special luncheon, an as-
sembly, and a come -and -go tea and coffee
event, which made a lasting impression on
her.
"All these people coming to see me from
my past, people showing up from near and
far to wish me well, it really proved to me
just how many lives you can touch with a
job like this," she said."And it shows you
how a school that encompasses everything
in a person; their church, their family, their
community, and their education, can really
make some great memories and some great
people."
Drennan thanks everyone who made her
stay at St. Mary's so memorable, and every-
one who made her good-byes so memorable
as well.
Photo by Denny Scott
Adele Drennan, secretary at St. Mary's Catholic School is retiring
after nearly thirty years on the job. Drennan, shown here with grand-
daughter Emily, and classmates Indiana Crook, Jonnie Lavis,
Kayla -Elizabeth Morris and Sam Bezaire, had her last day on
Monday.
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