Last week, St. Clair Catholic held its annual retirement celebrations, during which 29 retiring employees were honoured for their many years of service.
The Sarnia-Lambton event was held at the Sarnia Golf & Curling Club on June 14th and the Chatham-Kent celebration was at the Links of Kent Golf Club in Chatham.
Below are tributes which were prepared by colleagues that highlight some of the many contributions made by the retirees of 2022-2023.
Maureen Bradley – School Secretary – St. Patrick’s Catholic High School
Throughout her 22 years with St. Clair Catholic, Maureen was a supportive team player with wonderful people skills. She takes an interest in everyone, no matter how busy she is. Maureen has a great sense of humour and her laugh is contagious, which makes working with her a true delight. You will often find colleagues sharing a chuckle with Maureen at her desk. She demonstrates grace under pressure – finding supply teachers at 7:00 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. start is no easy task! She is compassionate, kind and a trusted confidante for many staff. Maureen says what she is most proud of is that she never once did not want to come to work. She enjoyed every day she was at St. Patrick’s and being part of the staff was a true blessing in her life. Her contribution to St. Patrick’s is that she has been a light for so many, bringing joy and laughter to the office and the entire school community. She has been a steady and loyal friend and her presence in the office will be missed by everyone.
Denise Chaulk – Teacher – St. Patrick’s Catholic High School
Denise is described by her co-workers at hilarious, loyal and passionate. Her proudest contribution would be the legacy of music students, who have gone on to pursue music as their career. Denise has worked tirelessly to build a strong music program. She has influenced so many by bringing music to all of our elementary partner schools and helping secondary students realize their passion for music. She taught them to be resilient, when things didn’t go they way they planned; and showed them how to laugh, when they wanted to cry. She taught students not only about music, but about life. In retirement, Denise plans to travel with her husband and spend more time with family and friends.
Diane Yurkewich – Science Department Head and Student Success Lead – St. Patrick’s Catholic High School
Throughout her 25 years with St. Clair Catholic, Diane has dedicated her career to ensuring each student succeeds. She has a kind and gentle manner that allows her to reach our must vulnerable students. Diane builds trusting relationships with students and as a result, she is able to help them reach their goals. She has encouraged and supported many, many students to obtain the credits they need to graduate, which is a HUGE accomplishment. Diane says her proudest contribution is connecting with and supporting students and families, especially those whose lives have taken unexpected turns and who need care and respect the most. In retirement, she plans to explore Malta this October with her family; and to curl in winter, golf in summer and visit with her children and grandchildren.
Deb Fitzgerald – Library Technician – Ursuline College Chatham
Deb is a hard working, dedicated and loyal colleague, whose passion for reading and learning has challenged students to become better readers. She has worked diligently to build, maintain and share the wonderful selection of books on offer in the UCC library. Deb is proud to have designed and created many online virtual libraries. She was instrumental to the creative process and layout of resources for the new UCC Lancer Commons. Her expertise was essential to the smooth transition to access resources for the students of UCC. By adding genres to the fiction section, Deb was able to dramatically increase the reading interest of students and create a reader’s advisory for the students and staff of UCC. Her extensive knowledge, expertise with library advancements and her never ending guidance will certainly be missed at UCC. She looks forward to travel, publishing some books and spending time with her grandchildren.
Sue Coristine – Teacher – Ursuline College Chatham
Sue is an adventurous teacher. She wouldn’t hesitate to plan an overnight field trip with her students to provide them with hands-on experience in field work. She possesses an incredible work ethic and teaches with integrity. She is a passionate educator, who shares her knowledge enthusiastically. Sue is a gifted coach, who enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for health, wellness and coaching with various teams, including basketball, volleyball and track & field. She says her greatest contribution has been her work to support staff, and students from Grade 9 to graduation, whenever it was needed. In retirement, she looks forward to enjoying time with family and friends at a relaxing pace.
Jeff Denomy – Physical Education Department Head – Ursuline College Chatham
Jeff is a diligent, dedicated and passionate teacher, especially with regard to Lancer athletics. He has contributed countless hours behind-the-scenes to ensure athletes, coaches, parents and volunteers always had what they needed for success on the court, field, rink, gym or classroom. His passion for Lancer athletics is unmatched. He shows this through his tireless efforts to develop creative lessons and his ability to be a fan at almost every sporting event. Over the years, he has helped coaches get placed with teams, organized equipment, completed paperwork, organized and coordinated games, tournaments and practices … all of which means UCC athletes have had tremendous opportunities. These are the experiences our students will remember and hold dear. Jeff’s proudest contributions have been his success in getting as many kids as possible involved in UCC athletics; and his personal success with volleyball teams and numerous OFSAA appearances and finishes. In retirement Jeff looks forward to golf, travel and hiking with family and friends.
Nancy Foster – English Department Head – Ursuline College Chatham
Nancy is a person of great integrity and a strong role model for her co-workers and the students she serves. Nancy is supportive and never misses an opportunity to help a colleague or a student in need. She is empathetic and considers others first; always willing to embrace someone else’s perspective, which is an important quality as a school leader. Nancy is dedicated to being the best teacher she can be; always looking for ways to improve lessons for the benefit of students. She was instrumental in developing and implementing an independent reading program called Book It, for all students at all grade levels. The program has transformed the department and helped students progress in their reading skills. In her 29 years as a teacher, Nancy has had a great impact on new and experienced teachers alike, in her department. In retirement, Nancy looks forward to travelling to Ireland and continuing with her thriving jewellery business, as a business owner and entrepreneur.
Thelma McNear – Educational Assistant – Ursuline College Chatham
Thelma was a dedicated worker, who enjoyed the challenge of working with at-risk students. She was a highly respected Educational Assistant and worked closely with classroom teachers to ensure the success of any student she supported. Thelma has helped many students with challenges to succeed, especially in math and science. She has helped students to graduate from UCC and be more prepared for post-secondary education through her hard work in the STEP program. In retirement, Thelma is spending lots of time boating and enjoying her time on the water.
Ray Power – Vice Principal and Former Principal – Ursuline College Chatham
Ray is an approachable and compassionate leader. His enthusiasm and passion for education is evident in his daily interactions with students, parents and staff. Ray approaches his days at work with joy in his heart. His life’s work was to ensure that the students in his care received the best education they possibly could and reached their full potential. If staff needed something, Ray worked tirelessly to ensure they had whatever supports they needed. He is an educator, through and through. His is respected by parents, students and staff alike and will be remembered as someone who cared for them deeply, throughout his career. One of his greatest contributions was the implementation of LinkCrew, affectionately dubbed Lancer Link at UCC. Ray plans to spend more time with family and friends, working in his yard and enjoying cottage life.
Colleen McElhone-Babenko – Teacher – St. Michael Bright’s Grove
In a career that has spanned 32 years, Colleen has taught for three school boards and during that time has taught every grade from JK to 8, except Grade 6. She is a compassionate, selfless teacher who always goes above and beyond for her students. She willingly gives up her own time, both before and after school, to work with students who needed a little extra help with reading and literacy skills. Colleen has taught in many schools and always takes pride in her current location. While at St. Michael, she worked tirelessly to make the front garden beautiful for students, staff and visitors to the building. She has coached countless sports teams, always with a focus to provide opportunities for students to share and develop their skills. Her proudest contribution throughout her career has been to see her students learn to read and write well. In retirement she plans to continue to supply teach, volunteer, travel and enjoy driving around in her new convertible!
Teresa Judson – Custodian – St. Matthew Catholic School
Teresa is hard-working, dedicated and has a huge heart that cares. She always takes pride in the work she does to maintain St. Matthew as a clean and safe learning environment for students and staff. Teresa always goes the extra mile in everything she does. She is hardworking, kind and thoughtful and her interactions with students and staff are joyful and fun. She always works to build relationships between herself and students and staff; and in doing so, she has helped make St. Matthew a great place to be. Teresa will be missed by her colleagues at the Board, and the students and staff of St. Matthew Catholic.
Jocelyn Gresham – Teacher – Gregory A. Hogan Catholic School
Jocelyn is a natural leader with a tremendous intellect. She has a wealth of knowledge and is our ‘go to’ for the primary division at Gregory A. Hogan. She is gifted in French literacy and the ability to teach students to read in French. During her 17 years with St. Clair Catholic, Jocelyn has successfully used her expertise with the French language and the Francophone culture to advance our French Immersion program at Gregory A. Hogan Catholic School. She is also very artistic and creative. In retirement she looks forward to returning to the world of art to write and illustrate a children’s book.
Dave Bertrand – Teacher – Sacred Heart Port Lambton
Dave has been with the St. Clair Catholic District School Board for 30 years. He is respected, dedicated and hardworking. He often stays in at recess to help students get caught up. He is meticulous in his work and has a wealth of knowledge, often acting as a mentor to new staff. Dave is a reflective thinker, a gift he helps pass along to his students. He also sees and helps to cultivate leadership qualities in his students, while also holding them accountable for their actions. Dave does an exceptional job of helping to prepare students for life after elementary school. He says his proudest contribution is in helping to influence success in his students. In retirement, Dave says he plans to dedicate himself to the fight for the rights of short, long-haired left handers!
Catherine Day – Manager of Financial Services and Privacy Officer – Catholic Education Centre
Catherine is a ‘roll up her sleeves and get it done’ true professional. She is reliable, pragmatic and gifted with the skill of seeing efficient solutions and opportunities. She can always get people thinking outside the box. Over the years, Catherine has led various teams including Finance, IT, Procurement and Payroll. Her ability to foster leadership within the teams has led many staff to pursue leadership roles, as well. She is positive, kind, compassionate, trusted and has a great sense of humour. She’s just plain fun to be around! Her proudest contribution has been the introduction of a Privacy Framework for the Board and the related easy-to-understand training for staff. She was a significant contributor to the provincial Privacy Committee, which provides consistent advice for all school boards across Ontario; and was recently presented with an award for her work. She has made a difference to St. Clair Catholic through her breadth of knowledge of the policies, procedures and frameworks in her portfolios and her ability to guide staff and protect the Board, staff, students and families. Her retirement plans include hikes on the Bruce Trail and the Camino de Santiago. She also plans to travel to Hawaii, Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Italy; and to golf in Great Britain and at Pebble Beach. And maybe when the travel wraps up, she’ll get a dog to accompany her on her hikes!
Brenda Corchis – Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, K-12 Learning Services Team – Catholic Education Centre
Brenda exemplifies lifelong learning. Her dedication to education is well-known across the system. She can speak eloquently on any topic without notice. She has an open-door policy and approaches all questions with an open mind, compassion and grace. She challenges herself and others to stay current, to continue to research and learn to be the best we can be for the St. Clair Catholic learning community. Besides being the proud Mom of Connor and Clare, she has dedicated her career to improving the quality of literacy learning for all students. She has a deep belief in the importance of early learning and supports the development of partnerships to foster the success of our youngest learners. Brenda builds capacity in others and helps them to believe in themselves. The late author and lecturer Bob Proctor once said, “A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourself.” That’s Brenda! Anyone who has had the privilege of learning alongside her knows her unwavering passion for education leaves you wanting more. So many of us “want to be Brenda when we grow up!” Thank you Brenda for inspiring all of us to do better for our students! In retirement, Brenda hopes to spend more time with family and friends, focus on wellness and learn something new every day!
Gabe Lacroix – Supervisor, Building Services and Maintenance – Facility Services
Kindness and compassion in all his interactions have been the hallmarks of Gabe’s 34 years of service to the Board and his colleagues. His warm and gentle nature makes everyone who works with him feel welcome and valued. Gabe’s priority was always to meet deadlines to serve the needs of the system. His tremendous smile, positive attitude and his dedication to the students and staff throughout his career have been the outstanding qualities that mark his leadership. In retirement, Gabe would like to see his childhood team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, win one Stanley Cup while he is still alive. He also looks forward to travel and baby sitting his grandchildren.
Mary Ann McCrae – Vice Principal – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
With a quiet and caring demeanor and a wonderful sense of humour, Mary Ann carries out her duties with an ardent commitment to the well-being of all students. Helping our most vulnerable learners grow and develop has been her passion. Having been part of the administration team in both the elementary and secondary panels, she has had the privilege to watch many students transition from children to wonderful young men and women, who have so much to offer in their adult lives. For Mary Ann, it was a joy to be part of the teams that supported students with special needs. She was instrumental in the development of the Board’s VTRA response and during her time on the behaviour team she helped to make a difference for the Board’s most vulnerable students and their families. In retirement, she plans to enjoy more time at the family cottage and travelling.
Bentley Banks – Custodian – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Bentley was always a pleasure to be around. Beneath his quiet nature, there was great pride in maintaining a shiny, clean school. Bentley never hesitated to jump in and help teach new custodial staff how to complete a task. He taught many co-workers how to organize their work and manage their time so that they could be more productive, while at the same time enjoying their work. Bentley was always proud of his hard work at the end of the summer break, as students and staff came back to a sparkling clean building. After a career that has spanned 30 years, he looks forward in retirement to spending more time with his daughter and puppy!
Sue Galbraith – Teacher – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Sue gets things done. If anybody needs anything … you just have to ask Sue. She dedicates many extra hours to sort clothing orders, organize track and field, clean up supply rooms … the list goes on. She sees a need and just does it. Sue is extremely welcoming and takes new staff under her wing and makes them instantly comfortable. She is a meticulous teacher and spends hours after school and on weekends to perfect her lessons so that they are fun and engaging for her students. She pays extra attention to little details. Her kids are better students, but more importantly better people, for having been in her class. Her infectious laugh and warm presence will be missed at Merici. Her retirement plans include spending more time with family, day trips and some home renovation projects!
Suzanne Marchand – Kindergarten Teacher – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Suzanne is described by her co-workers as positive, kind, a shining light, a great talker and generous. She has made a difference to the St. Angela Merici community by spreading her positive outlook on life and happiness to her students and co-workers. Her proudest contribution to teaching over her 31 years of service is having made each child feel special and the strong relationships she has built with her colleagues. Suzanne still loves to teach, so she plans to supply teach. She also wants to travel and spend time with family. She even has plans to finish all the books that she started to read, but never quite got to the ending!
Rick Coristine – Teacher – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Rick is sweet, humble, kind and has a great sense of humour. His selflessness and positive attitude are evident in all of his interactions with staff and students. Rick is always willing to help anyone and is a fierce champion for students and their families. Through his many years of teaching Grade 8, Rick has helped students to grow their faith through social justice and equality and through the Sacrament of Confirmation. He has encouraged them to pray daily and helped to develop in them a sense of thankfulness for the unique ways in which God has blessed them. Rick says his greatest contribution has been to empower his students; and to convince them to be proud of what they really CAN do, building their confidence so that they can achieve beyond what they think they can do. After a 32-year career in education he plans to relax and volunteer with Community Living Chatham-Kent.
Loretta Vince – School Secretary – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Throughout her 34 years with the Board, Loretta was dedicated to the families of our students. Parents always had a listening ear when difficult phone calls had to be made; and they knew if there was something they needed, they could count on Loretta. She was always kind, compassionate and empathetic. Loretta was always interested in the students and enjoyed watching them as they grew from the primary through intermediate grades. Her expertise and attention to detail was a big help throughout the process of opening the new St. Angela Merici Catholic School. In her retirement, Loretta is enjoying gardening and plans to travel across Canada with her husband.
Greg Moore – Teacher – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Greg is a faith-filled teacher who models his convictions for his students daily. He has a sense of humour, which he shares with both staff and students. His kind gestures, like making rosaries for staff and prayer cards for students, have always been a testament to his strong faith and helped everyone to build their own personal connections with God. Greg is always willing to share ideas and work with others toward a common goal. He is always great to share one more story! Among his greatest contributions is having had the opportunity to share his faith with students and staff; and being a part of the opening of the new St. Angela Merici Catholic School. In retirement, he looks forward to having more time to spend with his parents.
Christine Badder – Educational Assistant – St. Angela Merici Catholic School
Throughout her 19-year career as an Educational Assistant, Christine has demonstrated Catholic values and genuinely accepted and appreciated all the students that she was worked with so closely. She has always acted in the best interests of her students and has created bonds with them, that have helped them to know they are part of a safe, inclusive and trusting relationship. Each and every student with whom she has worked has touched her heart and made her proud to be a part of their achievements and successes. Christine recently became a new grandparent and is now looking forward to spending more time with her grandson Asher. As for her future plans, she will let God guide her retirement, just as He has done throughout her life to get her where she is today!
Lia Dolfi – Teacher – St. Ursula Catholic School
Lia has dedicated her 27 years with St. Clair Catholic to her students, through her committed love for teaching. Among her proudest contributions is instilling a love of reading in her students. She also helped them see themselves as authors, by having their stories published into real books that they could share with their friends and family. Lia believes that if you can develop a love of reading in a child, they will become lifelong learners. She welcomed the opportunity to help train a new generation of teachers by frequently having student teachers in her classroom. Her retirement plans include a lot of travel, with a six-week trip planned for Sicily, Sardinia and Tuscany; and spending more time at her cottage in Kettle Point and winter months in Florida.
Larisa Lyons – Program Resource Teacher – St. Ursula Catholic School
Larisa is a positive, optimistic and enthusiastic colleague, known for her love of the colour pink, her sense of humour, her organizational skills and her outstanding participation in all theme days. Through 30 years in her work as a PRT, she has helped teachers find creative solutions for students with challenges. She has helped students to be successful in ways which they didn’t think were possible. She has made significant, life-long impacts on students and their families, and has fostered and reinforced improved self-esteem and a motivation for learning. Despite all of her successes in her career, Larisa says her proudest contribution is being a mom. She plans to spend more time with family and friends, volunteer and build on some hobbies.
Lena Teeuwen – Custodian – St. Joseph Catholic School, Tilbury
Lena has always been hard-working and eager to please, taking great care to always ensure the school was pristine. Lena has a beautiful rapport with all students and staff. The students respect her and care about her opinion. She takes pride in her work, knowing that the environment is an important element in learning. Her faith-filled spirit, optimism and smile brightens our school. She is conscientious and caring in every task she completes. She has always treated people with respect and compassion and has left a mark on St. Joseph through her kindness and warmth. Lena plans to spend time with family, enjoying the outdoors and travelling.
Ric Mathany – Teacher – Holy Family Catholic School
Ric is a dedicated educator. He is friendly, supportive and caring to students, their families and staff. He shows respect for the dignity and uniqueness of all. Each day, he came to school ready to bring out the best in others, by helping them find school rewarding. He shows his care and concern for all members of the school community, not just his students. Through his dedicated support of the student nutrition program at various schools, he has helped to ensure that students would have healthy and nutritious snacks throughout the day. Ric interacts with students on a personal level. He listens attentively and picks up on key details about individuals, which he uses to help reinforce their sense of worth. He has been a dedicated coach, both at school and in the community, sharing his passion for physical activity and promoting fair play and good sportsmanship. His proudest contributions have been his ability to inspire students and to build empathy for others through charity work. Through his selflessness and silent contributions each day, he has made a difference in the lives of our students. His retirement plans include trips to Venice, England and Kentucky, continuing to volunteer with local sports organizations, and getting involved with an organization that develops freshwater systems around the world.