heckit's blog: November 2013

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Kathy McKenna

In institutions, there are certain people who, while not managers, are leaders and hold the organization together. Kathy McKenna was that person for L. R. Flynn Elementary. She started her teaching career at Patrick Henry and moved to then LeConte, where she taught for some 30 years.

Kathy was the consummate professional and personable colleague. She would arrive early, 7:00ish and leave late into the day. She was involved in leadership initiatives and new principals were unwise not to consult her. But she knew the importance of balance and going home to recharge. Often I was at school until 6:00 and when the Angelus bells at St. Anthony’s would chime, she would shoo me out to go home, “Hector, that is the Angelus. Time to go home.” Organized she would have her list of things to do and I learned from her to put items not to forget (papers, books, etc) in the doorway.

But she was a personable friend. she would reach out to everyone to make them feel at home. Fun-loving, she would participate in after school gatherings and socialize, because it was important to balance work with fun and get to know your colleagues in places other than work.

Thank you for all those years of being supportive colleague across the hall and for being a model of how to live life fully. I will miss you my friend.