Gary Gavin:
CLASS OF 1970
Ada C. Richards SchoolClass of 1970
Windsor, ON
Gary's Story
I first started teaching at Ada C in September of 1965 and remained there until June of 1970. I married the French teacher, Miss Laura Marentette, in August of 1970 and she has put up with me for 41 years. For the first two years I taught Phys. Ed. on rotary in the dingy gym with the low ceiling in the basement. This was just beside the exit from the tunnel. I didn't enjoy this teaching assignment (particularly the square dancing) although the psychedelic gymnastics display in the auditorium was a spectacular event.
In my third year at Richards I was assigned to teach Science. What a blast! See if you remember any of these things or events that occurred from then until I transferred in 1970.
A chicken named Bessie.
A gunpowder-powered hot wheels car.
Over 100 hooded rats.
A 6-foot Iguana Lizard
Tony tossing my lunch bag out the third floor window.
The strap.
Mini skirts.
Trips to Niagara Falls.
Going up in a DC 3 airplane at Windsor Airport.
Including the 3rd floor south east hallway as part of the science room to have enough room for the animal cages.
The first Science Fair in an elementary school in Windsor (and maybe the province)
The Taming of the Shrew
I enjoyed so many of the students at this, my first school in Windsor. I was 18 when I signed my teaching contr...Expand for more
act and 19 when I stepped in front of my first class in 1965. Now that I am 65, my fear with this post is that I may not remember some of my former students' names that I meet at this Facebook group. I shall never forget some of the staff (and student) celebrations that occurred while I was at Richards. They were great!
I retired at age 52 after teaching for 32 years in Windsor. I bought shares in Benthic Scuba Center on Lauzon Parkway and became a SCUBA instructor. I sold my part of the store after 8 years in October 2010 but I still have my instructor certifications and insurance. One of the highlights of my life was a trip to Galapagos where I dove with a 60 foot whale shark. Video of me diving with this giant can be seen in the gallery of the Windsor Skin and Scuba Club.
I live next door to Ron McConnell in Tecumseh and have coffee several times a week at Tim's with Barry Thompson. Both of these fine gentlemen graduated from Richards and survived my teaching.
I race sailboats (an oxymoron if ever there was one) but I do not own one. I spend many weeks each year cruising with a friend who owns a 38 foot catamaran in Grenada. We generally head north as far as Sint Maarten - Saint Martin and than head back south. SCUBA diving is usually a part of these trips.
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