Rick Elger - Teachers
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New info about our teachers from Roger & Suzanne Sevigny
"Honky" was indeed a strange character but not too many people are aware that he barely escaped with his life during the Hungarian Revolution. Prior to escaping Hungary he was a violinist in the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. I ran into him in Toronto in 1972-73 where he was playing his violin at a Hungarian restaurant. He remembered me before I recognized him and his English had improved 1000%. At that time he still had hopes of someday returning to Hungary to once again play for a symphony orchestra.
Spencer AKA Tired Blood. Not a very good teacher but I grew to appreciate his counseling abilities. He was the teacher that got the job to tell me that my father had died in an accident. Certainly he was far more capable of providing support and counseling in such circumstances than he was as a teacher.
Francis Howard-Rose. I ran into (literally) FHR at Bishop's University in 1980. He was walking (no, more like striding quickly) in the Quad with Professors gowns on streaming behind him. Suzanne and I chased him and finally caught up with him and he slowed down his pace so we could talk. He advised us that he was now a Bishop in Newfoundland in the Episcopal Church of Canada, which turns out to be a break-away group of Anglican Clergy who were upset that women were going to be ordained. Now does that fit or what. I've often thought that FHR would provide great material for a witty song from Bowser & Blue!
One teacher that you didn't mention may have been before your time and that was poor Mr. Cram. Mr. Cram was a WW 1 veteran who suffered terribly from shell shock. We used to get such a kick to see Mr. Cram go flying for the floor whenever someone slammed down the cover of their desk. I guess at the time we didn't really know how cruel we really were. Ask Andy McCullough about what happens to you when you slam your desk and get caught. As my memory serves me, Andy was the recipient of at least two blackboard erasers to the head from Mr. Cram.
Regards,
Roger Sevigny / Suzanne Sevigny (Paquin) Class of 62