The last day of school is always filled with excitement and milestones. This year, at Oakdale Elementary, the activities on June 18 included a few tears and a standing ovation for Bob Ferendo, or Mr. Bob, the school’s custodian and everyone’s friend.
Ferendo, 74, retired after working in Montville Public Schools for 13 years. He started at Oakdale and finished there, with five years at another school in the system, sandwiched in between.
“This is a man who came to work each day, trying to help each one of us any way that he could,” said Mark Johnson, school principal. “Whether it was helping a child in the hallway to go where they wanted to go, or they needed to get something done with their lunch money, or had a problem they couldn’t solve, or whether it was a teacher who needed something special done in their room. No matter what it was, or what time of day, or how busy he was, he took the time to help each and every one of us.”
Ferendo was hospitalized much of the past year, after being diagnosed last fall with bladder cancer. That is in remission, but treatment was rough on his system. He was in ICU for 24 days and required resuscitation. It looked grim, with a virus and double pneumonia in his lungs and his kidneys shutting down.
“My oldest son, Ronnie, kept me going,” Ferendo told the Montville Times. “But the Lord decided I wasn’t ready yet.”
His wife, Sandra, who has Huntington’s Disease, is a resident of Harrington Court in Colchester.
Ferendo hadn’t planned on retiring yet, but after extended hospitalization, his doctors recommended it. There is a lot of work to be done over the summer in preparing the building and all its facilities for next year’s students, he said.
He expected the last day to be a poignant one. But he didn’t expect such an outpouring of support from students and school staff. Between a walkathon by students on the school’s field days earlier this year and donations collected from staff, the school presented Mr. Bob with a check to help pay for his medical bills.
“This is totally unbelievable,” Ferendo told the assembled students, choking back a few tears as everyone got up off of the gym floor and gave him a long round of applause. “I’m Italian and Italian’s cry. This school has been like one big happy family to me; the teachers, the school and the staff.”
After the assembly, it was more hugs and well wishes from students and staff.
“It’s been a lot of fun. You see these kids grow up, you see them go to middle school and high school. Then you hire them back when they graduate.”
Ferendo said several students he has watched grow up returned to work for him in the summer. Almost on cue, a young man, a former student, walked into the gym after the assembly to shake his hand and wish him well.
“I love kids and I love this school system,” he said. “These guys keep you young. They keep you going.”
Ferendo and his wife had three children and have five grandchildren. His daughter, Dana Awker and granddaughter, Paige, who live in Stratford, Ct., came to the assembly. A younger son passed away in an auto accident.
Also retiring this year were Margaret Pothier, who taught first grade for 37 years and Jane Angelico, 35 years teaching art and kindergarten.
The school started a new tradition to honor retirees this year, as well as to display more student works, Johnson said. This summer, strips purchased by the Oakdale PTO will be secured to school hallway walls so art and other projects can be hung and displayed. Each wall section will carry a small plaque noting the retiree and years of service. The plan is to add more wall mounts and plaques in coming years.