Seven former high school educators were inducted into the Stow-Munroe Falls High School Wall of Fame Sept. 15: Cynthia Finley, Tom McCaffrey, Ed VandenBulke, Diane Wharton and posthumously Jeannette Downey, Jerilynn Hartenstein and Elizabeth McCaffrey.

The Wall of Fame honors high-school employees who have worked a minimum of five years at Stow-Munroe Falls High School. They must also demonstrate high standards of achievement and respect for students and their fellow teachers. They are recognized for the positive impact they have made through their service to Stow-Munroe Falls students.

Jeannette Downey

Downey taught 9th grade home economics at the Workman building from 1972-85 and taught the Culinary Arts career program at SMFHS from 1986 to 1998.

Downey’s daughter, Megan Slattery, a second-grade teacher at Riverview, spoke on behalf of her mother. She said she believed that her mom had encouraged her to pursue a career in education. “She said to me, ‘I hope you end up in a district with great peers and a wonderful administration,’” said Slattery. “That’s what my mom had here.”

Downey passed away in 2007.

Cynthia Finley

Finley began her career in Stow-Munroe Falls in 1975 as a guidance counselor at the Lakeview senior high school. From 1985-88 she was an assistant principal at Workman high school and Lakeview. From 1988-95 she was an assistant principal at Stow-Munroe Falls High School, when the two schools combined and moved to the current high school. For four years she was the principal at Kimpton Middle School (1995-99) and then returned as head principal of Stow-Munroe Falls High School until her retirement in 2006.

Rick Bongiorno, retired SMF superintendent, spoke on behalf of Finley. “She is a compassionate, outstanding leader and a really good listener,” said Bongiorno. “Even when she disagreed with you, she would listen to what you had to say. Cindy was an outstanding educational leader in the school district and this community. She always had an unfathomable faith in the potential of everyone who walked these halls.”

“I’ve had the privilege to work with everyone but two of the people on the Wall of Fame. It is humbling to consider myself with these outstanding inductees,” said Finley. “I accept this honor with gratitude. I’m a better person for having been apart of this faculty and this school.”

Edward VandenBulke Jr.

VandenBulke began his career in the Stow-Munroe Falls schools as a speech and English teacher and debate coach at Stow High School (Lakeview) from 1976-81. He became assistant principal at Kimpton Middle School from 1981-86 and principal at Kimpton until 1992. He served as assistant superintendent of the district from 1992-98. He became the superintendent at the Summit County Educational Service Center and then returned in 2000 to be the Superintendent of the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District until his retirement in 2006.

Jay Morgan, retired SMFHS principal, spoke on his behalf. “Ed was a teacher and an innovator. He was the first speech coach at Stow and his teams competed in the state tournaments.”

"I have worked with many of the people on the Wall,” said VandenBulke. “This is a pleasure and an honor. To be part of the faculty at Lakeview, it was a wonderful place to be and a great time in my life.”

Diane Wharton

Wharton was employed for 27 years at SMFHS as a study hall monitor. She also facilitated the Drug Awareness program for eight years.

Jeanne Denton, retired SMFHS English teacher, spoke on her behalf. “We had many of the same students – either in study hall, in-school suspension or the drug awareness program,” said Denton. “Often I would hear about Diane, as someone the students admired. Her motto was ‘do the right thing.’”

“Diane took a particular interest in students,” said Denton. “She once purchased an outfit for a student who needed something to wear for graduation. God has given her a wise and understanding heart.”

“I wore so many hats – I was mother, father, sister, brother to my students,” said Wharton. “When I did all these things, I didn’t think it would lead up to all of this. Thank you for considering me for the Wall of Fame. It is wonderful that you saw something in me.”

Jerilynn Hartenstein

Hartenstein taught home economics at the Lakeview building from 1973-1983. Then for a year was both a teacher and guidance counselor at Workman and Kimpton. She was a guidance counselor at Kimpton and Highland from 1984-1987 and then added two more schools - Riverview and Lakeview - for one year. From 1988-91 she was a counselor at Kimpton and Lakeview and just at Kimpton from 1991-2002. Hartenstein passed away in 2002 after a battle with cancer.

“Her work in Stow Schools was rewarding,” said Patty Bucy, Hartenstein’s sister. “I know the recognition would have meant the world to her.”

Elizabeth McCaffrey

McCaffrey was a 1976 graduate of Stow High School and was co-valedictorian of her class. She taught Latin at her alma mater from 1983-2006 and Woodridge High School from 2003-2006. She passed away in 2007 after a long illness.

“ Her life was intimiately connected to Stow High School,” said SMFHS Spanish teacher Connie Blohm. “It was here as a student she first learned Latin, which became her passion. She loved what she did and that love was contagious.”

Tom McCaffrey

McCaffrey taught Latin at Stow-Munroe Falls High School from 1973 until 2006, when he retired. He is currently teaching Latin at Woodridge High School.

“ There’s definite proof in what he did with his students,” said Ed Gleim, retired SMFHS teacher. “He won the [Junior Classical League] state title 28 years in a row - every year he taught here. That is totally remarkable. His teams were never defeated. Tom is one of the most effective teachers here at Stow.”

“ Thank you for this great honor,” said McCaffrey. “Both Beth and I enjoyed our stay here.”

He quoted from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans: “One who is a teacher should use his gift of teaching. It reminds us that it is a gift from God and that we have to use our gifts,” said McCaffrey. “Beth was born to be a teacher. She would be very appreciative of this. It is a great honor.”

Portraits of Finley, Wharton, VandenBulke, Tom McCaffrey, Elizabeth McCaffrey, Downey and Hartenstein are displayed on the Wall of Fame in the high school library. Visualizations Photography Inc. donated the seven portraits.

The newly inducted educators join these past inductees to the Wall of Fame: Harold Adkins, Janet Bergstrom, Victor Bernardez, James Boncek, Shirley Burrow-Nunn, Patsy Carman, Parke W. Cooley, Peter Grande, Judith Hackman, Kathryn Harrah, Marian Hutchison, Rebecca Jensen, Evelyn Kaufman, John Kunkler, Mary Delores Maag, Molly McGrady-Phillips, Robert MacFarland, Greta Morgan, Jay Morgan, Alta Raper, Dave Reinhart, Larry Rosche, Lawrence Saltis, Adelaide Schlichting (deceased), Tom Stephan, Ron Stewart, Susan Trembly, James Tyree, James VanGilder, Marilyn Willberg, Karen Williams, Velma Workman and Irvin Zigler.

page posted 9/19/2008