Q: Please tell us about your career. What do you love most about what you do?
I’m a retired elementary and middle school teacher. I spent my first year – 1966 – teaching fifth grade in Cudahy, and then a good friend of mine suggested I interview here in Greendale. I started teaching at Canterbury and then taught at College Park after that. Greendale was bursting at the seams, and we had to rent the brand-new Martin Luther High School because College Park wasn’t ready to open yet. Martin Luther had just opened, and they used half the school for freshmen and sophomores, and part of College Park for the other half. That was kind of fun; the kids got to eat the high school lunches, so they loved that. I was at College Park for a few years, then it was time for a change. I transferred to Ambruster for a few years, then I moved to the middle school in 1974.

I taught seventh grade English and social studies there for 25 years, and that was my niche. I was the forensics director for a long time and that was my favorite thing to do. I was the director of the program, and at its height we had 200 kids involved in public speaking. Everybody had to do a speech in their classroom, and after they were done, they could opt into doing it in the competition. There were trophies awarded at a big assembly with all the parents. The next day we had an all-school assembly where all the first place winners gave their speeches in front of the entire school. It was the best assembly of the year! I taught in Greendale for 32 years, from 1967 to 1999. I retired because I had some heart troubles, and my cardiologist said the most important thing was to reduce stress – which isn’t always possible while teaching middle school!

After retirement, I was an adjunct professor of public speaking at UW-Parkside for 9 years. When our oldest grandchild was born, it was a good time for me to retire permanently. My wife and I volunteered to be caregivers so that one of the parents didn’t have to work just to pay for babysitting. Our grandchildren have been a big part of our lives, and that’s been a real joy for us.

Q: Please tell us about any volunteering that you have done or currently do.
I was involved with TwiNite baseball here in Greendale. I was a coach, manager, and league director for 19 years. The first eight years were before my oldest son was old enough to play. I would go to watch my students play, and finally one of the managers said, “If you’re going to be here anyway, how about you help out?” So, he gave me the books to keep all the records. The next year I thought I was going to do the same thing, but he retired and said, “Here, this is your team now!”

I’ve also been a reading buddy at Highland View for the past five years. We mentor first graders who come from a wide level of preparedness. It’s enjoyable! Each week I will have four or five books and they get to choose one for us to read together. They read the words that they know, or if there are any really difficult words, I’ll just say them or try to help them sound them out themselves.

I’ve been Ebenezer Scrooge for the past 25 years as part of A Dickens of a Village. I started doing it in 1999 and have done it every year since then – I have a lot of fun!

Q: Please tell us about any interesting or unique hobbies that you have?
I play tennis once a week – mixed doubles with a seniors group. This year I joined the retirees over at the Hose Tower, and we play Sheepshead on Thursdays. There’s about 40 of us now, and we play for nickels. It’s amazing!

Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in Greendale? What do you love there?
Longhorn Steakhouse in the Southridge area. My wife and I both enjoy their food a lot. Their filets are very good.

Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Greendale?
Roy Reiman. I had four of his children in school. One year, I had his son Scott. It was an election year, so each social studies class nominated and voted for one candidate. They got to research things like gun control, abortion, and other topics. I got a note from Roy after it was all over, and he shared his experience talking about all these different issues with his son. He said, “I didn’t always agree with Scott, but it was a heck of a teaching tool.” He wanted to thank me and sent us a box of Usinger sausages for Christmas. He said it was just a little taste of Wisconsin. That’s not why I admired him, but it was just the kind of person he was, to take the time to write a letter to me. Our paths crossed numerous times over the years and I always left with a smile.

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
I think I would go back to Germany. The scenery is so beautiful, and I like German beer! My wife and I used my salary from UW Parkside as our “fun money” to do a lot of traveling. We went to ten different countries: Ireland, Scotland, and England one year; Germany, Austria, and Switzerland another year; and Italy another. I also went to France for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. I got to see the foxholes and the cement bunkers in Normandy. I went with a group of about 20 through a tour company. My wife and I have also taken several road trips, one to the national parks out West – Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches – and out East to Gettysburg and to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell.

Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
A Christmas Carol, of course!

Q: What advice would you give to people?
Try something new. Take a chance and get out of your comfort zone.

When we had eighth grade graduation at the middle school, a staff member gave the parting speech, and I did it my last year before I retired. I remember telling the kids to find something new and give it a shot. Get out of your comfort zone. That was one of the things that I liked about the forensics program. Most adolescents are shy, and many times they had to get out of their comfort zone and try something new by getting up in front of a group of strangers or friends to give a speech.

I took my own advice when I got the chance to teach a college class after being the forensics director for 25 years. I started off at Concordia in Mequon teaching one night a week. I had the most wonderful group of young adults that I could ever imagine, and they got me hooked on doing it again. I taught there for two years, and then I got an adjunct professorship teaching two public speaking classes at UW Parkside. It was a refreshing challenge for me to go from seventh graders to college freshmen. I taught there for nine years. So, get out of your comfort zone; try something a little bit different!

Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Greendale?
The Cone Shop. It was right on Parking Street, probably where the barbershop shop is now. Judy Fons ran that; it was her business. We would take the kids there after a ball game and treat them to ice cream cones.

Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would you meet for this lunch?
I would like to have lunch with one of my former students who’s now an adult, and has been gone from Greendale for a while. There’s several that come to mind: George Salter, Tom Archie, Laurie Schmidt, Libby Nowak. They’re all former students that I would love to catch up with.

Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about Greendale?
I think the fact that even when people move away from Greendale or grew up someplace else, they still think of it as home. I think of it as home. I never say I’m from West Allis; I say I’m from Greendale. I have a love for this community. I’ve enjoyed so many different things that I’ve done here and have met so many great people. It’s my home.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I’ll be 87 in 5 years, and I’ll be 92 in 10 years. So hopefully I’ll still have some of my faculties!

Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I’ve been a collector of hippopotamuses since I first started teaching. I had over 100 of them in the back of my classroom. Now they are in my basement rec room, for the grandkids to play with when they were young.

Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Hawaii. The islands have so many beautiful spots and the sunsets are so memorable. My wife and I were standing on a cliff where the winds were very strong, and you kind of had to hold on, otherwise you’d have been pushed around by the wind. The panorama of looking at all the scenes below was gorgeous.

Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
I would say Christmas, because we can get the whole family together. Eric and his wife and the kids come from Cincinnati. When you don’t see parts of the family for extended periods of time, it’s a real treat to be able to do that.

Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My wife.

Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Bread or cookies baking.

Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Greendale is one of them. More personally: comfort, safety, happiness.