(The following news release comes directly from Fort Wayne Community Schools)
Fort Wayne Community Schools will say good-bye to 99 retirees with nearly 2,600 combined years of service at the annual retirement dinner Thursday, May 14.
The district wishes the best to the teachers, bus drivers, classroom assistants, custodians, administrators and others who dedicated many years to making the lives of children better. The years of service for this year’s group of retirees range from 10 to 46, and each year made a difference to students.
Retirees begin arriving at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. The dinner takes place at Indiana Tech in Andorfer Commons.
The following are the retirees FWCS honors this year:
| Name | Position | Years of Service |
| Rita Turflinger | Assistant Superintendent-Secondary | 46 |
| Patrick Riley | P.E. Teacher, Lane Middle School | 43.5 |
| Catherine Dinger | Assistant Financial Officer | 43 |
| Dorothy Dixon | Third-grade Teacher, Haley Elementary | 42.5 |
| Phyllis Brubaker | Kindergarten Teacher, Price Elementary | 42 |
| Carrie Moden | English Teacher, Northrop High School | 42 |
| Jeffray Schneider | Math Teacher, Blackhawk Middle School | 41 |
| William Blosser | Teacher, Ward Education Center | 40.5 |
| Vinton Smith | Transportation Supervisor | 40 |
| Christine Nagel | Fifth-grade Teacher, St. Joseph Central Elementary | 39.5 |
| Deborah Williams | Fourth-grade Teacher, Haley Elementary | 39 |
| Judith Platz | Student Services Manager | 38 |
| Philip Didier | Spanish Teacher, Wayne High School | 37 |
| Louise Swihart | Science Teacher, Lakeside Middle School | 37 |
| Jessie Tarkington | Secretary, Health Services | 37 |
| Andrea Herman | Counselor, Northwood Middle School | 36 |
| Kevin Amstutz | Teacher, Holland Elementary | 34.5 |
| Marcella Bordner | Clerk, Media Services | 34.5 |
| Craig Taylor | English Teacher, Wayne High School | 34.5 |
| Dennis Carrion | Maintenance & Operations | 33 |
| Carol Anzalone | LTV Programming Technician | 33 |
| Vicki Messman | Transportation Coordinator | 33 |
| Donald Leitel | Bus Driver | 32 |
| Tommie Williams | Maintenance & Operations | 31 |
| Jamie Tomlinson | Second-grade Teacher, Holland Elementary | 31 |
| Ellen Farmer | Secretary, Shambaugh Elementary | 31 |
| Sue Michell | Special Education Assistant, Forest Park Elementary | 30.5 |
| Elizabeth Stilwell | First-grade Teacher, Shambaugh Elementary | 30.5 |
| Patricia Ramsey | Cafeteria Manager, Jefferson Middle School | 30 |
| Debra Bryant | Fifth-grade Teacher, Forest Park Elementary | 30 |
| Katherine Senesac | Clerk, Franke Park Elementary | 30 |
| Georgia Brennan | School Assistant, Shambaugh Elementary | 30 |
| Loristene Lamb | School Assistant, Croninger Elementary | 29.5 |
| Judy Land | Transportation Manager | 29.5 |
| Jeffrey Halter | Senior Network Technician, Technology | 29 |
| Angelia Love | Math Teacher, Northrop High School | 29 |
| Rosemary Krull | Hearing-impaired Interpreter, Lane Middle School | 29 |
| Estelle Griggs | Third-grade Teacher, Forest Park Elementary | 28.5 |
| Janice Hunter | Science Teacher, Lakeside Middle School | 28.5 |
| Michael Wiegmann | Maintenance & Operations Specialist | 28 |
| Deborah Liddy | School Assistant, Franke Park Elementary | 28 |
| Janice Bradley | School Assistant, Waynedale Elementary | 28 |
| Denise Watkins | Art Teacher, Price Elementary | 27.5 |
| Dolores Double | School Assistant, Maplewood Elementary | 26.5 |
| Kathy Cummins | Third-grade Teacher, Brentwood Elementary | 26.5 |
| Charlene Howard | Cafeteria Cook, Lane Middle School | 26 |
| Kim Waldschmidt | Art Teacher, Memorial Park Middle School | 26 |
| Sheila McGarry | English Teacher, North Side High School | 25 |
| Gail Stoner | Teacher, St. Joseph Central Elementary | 25 |
| Elizabeth Eldridge | School Assistant, Jefferson Middle School | 24.5 |
| Michael Floyd | English Teacher, South Side High School | 24.5 |
| Barbara Young-Miller | Resource Teacher, Croninger Elementary | 24.5 |
| Sharron Roddel | Clerk, Media Services | 24 |
| Kathy Conely | Social Studies Teacher, Miami Middle School | 24 |
| Kathryn Garrett | Secretary, Psychological Services | 23 |
| Joan Runyan | Kindergarten Teacher, St. Joseph Central Elementary | 23 |
| Philip Wyss | Counselor, Portage Middle School | 23 |
| Susan Stephenson | Budget Analyst | 22.5 |
| Renee Bodkin | Special Education Assistant, Glenwood Park Elementary | 22.5 |
| Penny Keuneke | Teacher, Washington Center Elementary | 22.5 |
| Robin Drenning | Bus Assistant | 22 |
| Margo Altevogt | Second-grade Teacher, Arlington Elementary | 22 |
| Catherine Hubbard | Secretary, Media Services | 22 |
| Philip Ottenweller | Maintenance & Operations | 22 |
| Deborah Silva | Bus Driver | 21.5 |
| Barbara Blank | Science Teacher, Wayne High School | 21.5 |
| Sharon Huls | Language Arts Teacher, Memorial Park Middle School | 21.5 |
| Judy Delamarter | Secretary, Northrop High School | 21 |
| Linda Dechecko-Bradshaw | Kindergarten Teacher, Haley Elementary | 21 |
| Carol Queen | Teacher, Ward Education Center </span> | 21 |
| Ted Rupel | Student Interventionist, Forest Park Elementary | 21 |
| Betty Buchler | School Assistant, Haley Elementary | 20.5 |
| Teresa McComb | Student Interventionist, Holland Elementary | 20 |
| Linda Nix | School Assistant, Croninger Elementary | 20 |
| Susan Soden | Reading Interventionist, St. Joseph Central Elementary | 20 |
| Dana Spaulding | School Assistant, Forest Park Elementary | 19.5 |
| Elise Chang | Second-grade Teacher, Harris Elementary | 19.5 |
| Charles Brineman | Math Teacher, Northwood Middle School | 18.5 |
| Karen Yorio | Transportation Supervisor | 18 |
| Mary Reser | ELL Teacher, Washington Center Elementary | 17.5 |
| Cheryl A Leverton | School Assistant, Towles Intermediate School | 17.5 | Sandra Klingler | Cafeteria Assistant, North Side High School | 17 |
| Connie Glassley | Fifth-grade Teacher, Croninger Elementary | 17 |
| Robyn Shafer | School Assistant, St. Joseph Central Elementary | 17 |
| Principal, Scott Academy | 16 | |
| Jean Wyss | Teacher, Ward Education Center | 16 |
| Paul LeClair | Music Teacher, Adams Elementary | 15.5 |
| Judith Gerardot | Early Childhood Education Instructor, Anthis Career Center | 15 |
| Barbara Johnson | Special Education Teacher | 15 |
| Teresa Nagel | Art Teacher, Kekionga Middle School | 15 |
| Colleen Rines | First-grade Teacher, Study Elementary | 15 |
| Dawn Earley | School Assistant, Bunche Montessori Early Childhood Center | 14.5 |
| Carol Brockmeyer | Assistant Payroll Supervisor | 14 |
| Joseph Danys | Bus Driver | 13 |
| Charles Buerke | School Assistant, Glenwood Park Elementary | 12 |
| Rebecca Bradley | FACS Teacher, Snider High School | 11 |
| Karen Malott | Cafeteria Assistant, South Side High School | 10.5 |
| Bonnie Webb | School Assistant, Shambaugh Elementary | 10.5 |
| Edward Richardson | Bus Driver | 10 |
