W: William – Friend for Life

W: William – Friend for Life

April 27, 2022

Hi, William (Bill).

When we met in 1974, I was in my last year as a sixth-grade teacher at Miller Avenue Elementary school. The following year the sixth grade was to move to the newly built Middle School. You were in your first year at Miller Ave. teaching 4th grade. I didn’t interact much with the other teachers at Miller Avenue other than the sixth-grade ones, but I did find you. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we had much in common regarding our views on teaching and kids.

You and Sherry welcomed me into your home that first year. And when I moved on to the middle school the following year we continued our friendship, communicating frequently about our classes and our teaching, bouncing ideas and suggestions back and forth. Each growing as teachers and friends together.  We even got together with some of my ex-students on Saturday mornings to play sports on the Middle School fields, as our friendship continued to grow.

After six years of teaching sixth grade and a change of the middle school administration, I decided I had had enough of the Middle School and requested a transfer back to Miller Avenue, which was granted. You and I became teammates both teaching 4th and 5th-grade inter-age classes for the next 6 years. And our friendship grew stronger. We were so similar in our teaching that our students questioned whether or not we were related. We did inform them that we were, in fact, brothers, same mother, different fathers and they believed us.

We even pretended we were the Smith Brothers from the Smith Bros. Cough Drops carton, where next to each of the Smith Brothers pictures was the word Trademark, With Trade being by one picture and Mark being by the other.

We developed many programs and teaching styles, sharing the kids we taught. We continued to mentor each other and support decisions that had to be made. We spent time sharing activities, during holidays and vacations. We even went on a Delaware River canoeing trip with your friends Gary and Steve. That was quite an adventure.

You had a family now. And as your son, Marc grew up, I was part of his life too, helping you coach his PAL soccer teams. You and I played on an adult softball team for years made up of a lot of colleagues and our friends. When I broke my collarbone during a practice session, it was you and Sherry that provided me a place to stay during my initial recovery. You even lent me an automatic car as I couldn’t drive my stick shift car until my collarbone healed. Christina and I got married in your house with you as my best man. 

When you left our school district to move on your journey of administration of the Long Beach School district. Your loss to our system was felt. Your inscription to me in the book, through teachers’ eyes: portraits of writing teachers at work in which your teaching was highlighted was: To Harvey, my friend, colleague + teammate (no matter where we work) – This book is, in many ways, symbolic of all the extra-teaching activities I participated in during our time at Miller Ave. I could not have done any of them without your support, tangible and emotional…words cannot adequately express my gratitude or repay my debt. With great affection, Bill

The feeling was mutual then, as it is now. Through the 48 years, we have been friends there has never been a moment that you haven’t been there for me, as I hope I have been there for you. I asked you once when you were applying for the position of principal of Miller Avenue, “What happens to our friendship if you end up being my boss?” Your response was immediate straight from your heart to mine. Our friendship does not change because of our jobs. We will do what we have to do, but our friendship will remain strong. Neither job nor friendship is dependent on each other. And it was true. Even though you moved on to be a principal of other schools and a district principal of other districts, our friendship has never wavered and continues to grow. 

So thank you, Bill, for being you. You define the word friendship by who you are and what you have meant to me.

With great affection,

                                                                               Your forever friend – Harvey