Memory Lane: We've lost some amazing BCC souls

UPDATED: Scroll to the bottom for additional souls I originally missed.

We've lost some gosh darn amazing souls during my time teaching at Central and, although inevitable since none of us get out of this game called life alive, that doesn't make it any less painful. I am blessed to be able to call each a good friend and their untimely passing has been an emotional experience.
This is a personal list and I am sure there are others that I haven't included in this list, so please forgive the omission, but these are the people that left an indelible mark on my life.

Bill Simmons

William "Bill" Simmons was my grade 9 French teacher and then my Sr Volleyball coach. Affectionately coined "Wild Bill" by my buddies and I, I remember his colourful sense of humour as his standout quality. Although politically incorrect these days, his pet line was, "Hey Porter! Shut up already ... Do you wanna be next year's Timmy?" in reference to the child annually selected as poster feature for the March of Dimes. I can't say that what I learned in Bill's classroom has stuck with me through the years, but I can say that the way he enriched my life outside the classroom profoundly impacted it. Sadly, our continued relationship was cut short the same year that I returned to Central as a member of the staff, when Bill passed just prior to the beginning of the Sr Rugby season. He had been serving in the role of manager for Ron Andrews for a number of years, and his passing was an emotional time for Ron and the players. If you look closely at some of the photos taken of the 1999 Gold Medal team, you'll see the initials BS embroidered on the sleeve.

Paul Bethune

Paul was a beloved teacher in World Studies department at Central and give of his time outside of class as a Cross Country and Rugby coach, but it will be in the role of MC for the annual Teacher's Assemblies that most alumni will remember him. I first met Paul in the early 90's when he, Martin Carl and I were among those taking the HPE AQ course being run by Marty McCrone one summer up in Orillia. Paul was caring, funny, quick with a smile, generous and a great friend. One of the clearest memories I have of his sense of humour is a video that he and Martin created as a project for the HPE course on condoms ... I laughed for hours because of it. Another clear memory centers around his ability to do the Ol' Soft Shoe. I was walking by his history class one day, glanced in the open door, and found Paul up on top of his desk dancing. Asking him later that day, he grinned, "It was a deal with the kids. I told them that if the class average on a test was high enough, I would dance a jig on top of my desk." Sadly, Paul passed far too soon, a victim of cancer, and he left a palpable hole in the hearts of Central.

Paul Regan

Paul "Rico Suave" Regan was a gem of a human. I first met Paul when I was a Central student, and he was involved with a small store on the corner of Dunlop St and Mary St called Georgian Sports. I was a high school hoops nut and Georgian carried a wide selection of basketball shoes that were not the more popular brands. Thanks to Paul, I was the only kid wearing Pony and I loved that. One of the vivid memories I have of the store was a giant poster of George "The Iceman" Gervin sitting atop a throne of ice blocks ... I sooooo wanted that poster, but it was never for sale.
Our paths crossed again, much later on, when Paul became a much loved VP at Central, bringing his amazing personality to a difficult job. Paul earned his nickname because he knew everyone in Barrie ... and beyond, I would later find out ... and would use that influence to schmooze a solution to a host of problems he encountered with Central's most needy population. Quick with a smile, a joke, or a handshake, Rico also proved to be human because you could only push him so far. I recall being in the office one day, overhearing a loud conversation he was having with one particular transgressor, when he burst out of the office, "Can you hear it? Can you hear it? Na na na naaa. Na na na naaa. Hey hey hey, goodbye!" It took everything I had to suppress a giggle that was screaming to get out. Rico's legend grew exponentially when, on a trip to Notre Dame with some club basketball players, a custodian for the arena revealed that Rico had been a standout hockey player there and was considered to be a minor legend. We were all shocked because we had no idea. Sadly, Paul was taken from us far too early after losing a his battle with cancer.

Jane Hare

Jane and I crossed paths in life on a few occasions. We initially met early in my teaching career when her youngest child, Daniel, was in my grade 3 class at Maple Grove PS. She was active on the parent council and I was coaching a number of teams that Dan and her other children were playing on. Much later on, she became a member of the office staff at Barrie Central and were rekindled our friendship. Jane had a quick wit, for which I was often a target, but there was nothing that she wouldn't do for those she cared for. Our friendship went to the next level when she approached Ron, Jay and I about assisting with the Sr Rugby team in the role of manager. While I know her motivation was to assist us, it didn't escape my notice that there were other reasons for this generosity. Jane was affectionately referred to by me as a "Puck Bunny", a massive supporter of hockey and the Central kids who were excelling at it. During that time, we had a few lads on the team that were performing at elite levels in hockey. With all of her positives, Jane was not without faults ... Aren't we all? ... and she let her temper get away from her on occasion. Sadly, we lost Jane to a severe illness that caused organ failure, and her passing had quite the impact on myself and the school.

Hondo Varep

Hondo was a Uber popular art teacher at Central, but that is not how he and I fostered our friendship. Hondo was one of my rugby coaches and was tough as iron but quick with a smile and a witty remark. By the time I returned to my alma mater as a teacher, Hondo was close to retirement so we didn't get to share very many new experiences, but he was quick to offer to help with any issues that arose. A talented artist, some of his framed pieces hung on the walls of the staffroom near the Camelot Table, and were a daily visual reminder of him. The funeral for Hondo was held just up the street from Central, at the now demolished Central United Church. I have to admit, it was a tough one to deal with but impressive to see the impact that he had on so many in his relatively short life.

John Kinnear

John was a the science head during the final years of Central's existence. He was also my one of my daughter's favourite teachers, partially due to his unique and dry sense of humour, and partially due his teaching abilities. John was a fellow amateur shutterbug and we shared many a conversation about tips and tricks, or about how he could help the Yearbook with coverage of events happening in the halls. John had a tough final two years as he encountered a number of afflictions that put a damper on what should have been the exhilaration of retirement. It that was not meant to be, and his passing was a traumatic event for many of his students. I certainly felt a loss and I know that Maddison was shocked to hear of his passing.


Bob Caville

Bob didn't come to teaching until a little later in his adulthood, but once he arrived, he quickly set about making a difference. Most students recognized his great bearded visage as Papa Smurf, the math teacher and girls' basketball coach. What many didn't realize were the sheer volume of hours that Bob spent as Athletic Director and the accompanying hours that were invested in organizing Central's extracurriculars. I was blessed with the opportunity to work side by side with him in both girls' basketball and my role as OFSAA representative. Bob was a gentle soul, quick with a smile and a kind word, and he built deep, caring relationships with his students and players, perhaps because he and his wife did not have any children of their own. Bob's passing was a punch in the gut because his phone call to me about his cancer diagnosis was completely unexpected, considering his recent retirement, and because the time from the phone call to his passing was so swift. He left myself and many of Central's family with a chunk missing from our soul.

UPDATED: My apologies to the Clarkes, Whitfields and Rumbles

Bruce Clarke

For anyone reading this who did not go to Central, Bruce "Clarky" Clarke was one half of an amazing coaching tandem that created the fabled "Red Army", or Barrie Central Football Juggernaut, that steam rolled all comers on the way to mythological status in high school sports. I was never blessed to have Clarky as a teacher but we shared 3 football seasons during my Gr 11-12-OAC years. Bruce was a quiet but incredibly intense man who scared the living crap out of me as a 16 year old. Since I was primarily on offense the first two years, the only words he shared with me were critiques of the offense's performance. That all changed in my OAC year when injuries forced the decision to have me play both sides of the ball as TE and CB, and Clarky showed that he accepted me into his circle the way he showed everyone who enjoyed that privilege ... the Clarky Shot! Picture a busy geography hallway between classes and you're strolling along with your girl, books under the left arm, when a flash of dark hair and glasses unloads on your left shoulder with a rock of a left fist that deadens your entire left arm. Books drop, pain shoots down your arm and torso, and you look left to find a Cheshire grin adorning Clarky's face as he rumbles, "Good to see ya Porter." You're dying from the pain but happy to know you've made the inner circle in one of high school life's bittersweet moments. Bruce was hard to get to know, but he there was no doubt that he cared for his players. One of the greatest strokes of luck was that the Central Football family was able to hold a final reunion in celebration of the years just before Central closed, and we all got a chance to let Clarky know how we felt. Sadly, he passed a short time after that.

Jim Whitfield

Although I was never blessed to know Jim when I was a student, we became friends when I joined the staff of Central and I joined the lunch hour running group. In didn't hurt that Jim was a rugby man and showed his support almost every game. His large size belied a gentle soul as he was quick with a smile, a handshake and laugh, but when he lost his temper ... well just don't go there. I would have loved to spend more time getting to know Jim but we seemed to only be able to share the occasional time, here or there, but that didn't stop him from showing me his genuine care each time we spoke.


Jane Rumble

I never had Jane as a teacher and, although still on staff for a short time when I made the leap of faith to move to high school, we really never got a chance to share a lot of time. However, that didn't stop Jane from greeting me with a warm smile and a kind word every time we spoke. Jane was the better half of the Rumble pair, her husband Bruce was both my English teacher and is still a very good friend. Based on how she treated me as a friend, I feel strongly that I missed out on an opportunity not being in her class. A few people have commented to me on Social Media how much they were impacted by having her as a teacher.

Carol Warnica

I was never blessed to have Carol as a teacher, but that doesn't mean that I don't have an opinion of her ability to impart a meaningful and enriched education. Carol was inspiring, intelligent, enlightening, caring, dedicated, compassionate and humorous all wrapped up in a single person ... and she had a profound impact on her students, a fact supported by the outpouring of comments on Social Media. I was gifted the bonds of friendship by Carol and she made a significant impact on me through her smiles, mini-hugs and caring. As a beloved aunt to Rhett, Mitch, Dan and Landon Warnica, Carol was an ever-present figure at swim meets when I was managing the BCC team. Most importantly, Carol exuded a love that was rare, conveying a genuine sincerity with a gleam in her eye. She may be gone physically, but she'll never be gone spiritually.