Houston schools honor 76 retirees
It is never easy to say goodbye.
For someone who has spent 31 years in the Houston County School System, the emotions run high.
“God has blessed me with so many opportunities and it’s all a gift,” said Kathy James, coordinator of student services, who is retiring after working in the central office the past six years.
James, who is 58, was a special education teacher and an assistant principal at Kings Chapel Elementary before going to the central office.
“The hardest part is leaving the people I have formed relationships with,” she said.
James was one of 76 retirees from Houston County this year.
Beth McLaughlin, director of community and school affairs, said the retirees served collectively almost 1,800 years in the field of education.
The decision to retire wasn’t easy for James, but the decision came from what she called a “God wink.”
The extension for the central office is 8016. She started teaching in 1980 in Valdosta, and 2016 is when she will retire. She was born in 1958 and is 58 years old. When she got to the banquet, held May 10, there were 76 retirees. She graduated high school in 1976.
James plans on going to the beach as well as visiting family in Florida and North Carolina now that she will have more free time.
“I can spend time doing what I want to do,” she said.
Other retirees are Darryl Albritton, Perry High; Sheila Armstrong, Houston County Crossroads; Deanna Avery, Hilltop Elementary; Nonglak Baumann, Thomson Middle; Ethel Blackmon, Thomson Middle; Shealy Bloodworth, Quail Run Elementary; Patrice Burke, Central Office; Glenda Byrd, Northside High; Lori Campbell, Warner Robins Middle; Beverly Caudill, Northside High; Jodi Clark, Northside Elementary; Steven Collins, Warner Robins Maintenance; Cheryl Daniels, Perry Middle; William Daniel, Warner Robins Bus Shop; Kathy Dawson, Quail Run Elementary; Patti Davis, Matt Arthur Elementary; Valerie Deal, Langston Road Elementary; Yvonne Draper, Warner Robins Bus Shop; Carmelita Ebright, Feagin Mill Middle; Dorothy Ford, Parkwood Elementary; Mary Gibson, Westside Elementary; Leigh Giles, Perry High; Grace Grant, Morningside Elementary; Karen Guyotte, Perry High; Kathryn Grayson, Lake Joy Primary; Thomas Headley, Warehouse; Betty Hinson, Shirley Hills Elementary; Shelley Hudspeth, Russell Elementary; Eckel Hunt, Warner Robins Maintenance; Mary Jackson, Warner Robins Bus Shop; Kathy James, Central Office; Teresa Jones, Tucker Elementary; Phyllis Kimball, Thomson Middle; Anthony Lunceford, Central Office; Karen Michael, Feagin Mill Middle; Dwight Miller, Warehouse; Rebecca Mills, CB Watson Primary; Judy Mitchell, Perry High; Nastaran Lilja, Perry Middle; Monica Padgett, Lake Joy Primary; Patty Pfost, Lake Joy Primary; Stevie Phelps, Houston County Crossroads; Imogene Provitt, Perry High; Angela Sams, Warner Robins High; Jean Sanborn, Eagle Springs Elementary; Melissa Shiver, Northside Middle; Henry Simon, Warner Robins Maintenance; Jacquelyn Singleton, Mossy Creek Middle; Jeannie Smith, Northside Elementary; Karen Smith, Warner Robins Middle; Sandra Smith, Perry High; Teressa Sowell, Morningside Elementary; Angela Terry, Centerville Elementary; Eddie Tucker, Northside Middle; Xaviour Tucker, Langston Road Elementary; Lynn Waggoner, Bonaire Middle; LaNell Waller, Mossy Creek Middle; Harvey Warren, Warner Robins Bus Shop; Bryan Way, Warner Robins High; Christine Wellman, Central Office; Debra Wetherington, Lindsey Elementary; Gloria Wheeler, Miller Elementary; Casaundra Wilson, Northside High; Jane Wilson, Northside High; Ossie Wilson, Miller Elementary; Ron Wilson, Central Office; Joann Wooten, Warner Robins Middle; and the late Sheree Wright, Feagin Mill Middle.
This story was originally published May 15, 2016 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Houston schools honor 76 retirees."