The alternate headline for this story is: A correction about J.O. secondary.
I wrote a story two weeks ago about the much-adored Mike Evans, a basketball coach and counsellor at Britannia secondary since 1980. His fans rallied to name the school gymnasium in his honour and they managed to keep it a surprise from the man who isn’t on Facebook or Twitter.
In that story, I included a list from the school board with five other public schools that have paid tribute to educators in similar ways.
This is a fantastic and fitting way to honour educators, especially those sporty types who have given so much to teaching us fledgling jocks the basic ready position for this sport:
and this one:
and this one, too:
(A personal thanks to W.L. Seaton's Mr. Vance, one of my P.E. teachers growing up.)
However… For one of those Vancouver public schools, I missed the fact one gym is named for three people. (If I’ve neglected others, please write.)
After the story ran, I got a phone call from Hugh Marshall. (In the newspaper, I gave this shoutout: Hi Hugh, I’m glad to know you’re reading! Because I know he reads every issue and always wants to see more high school coverage.)
He praised Evans and then got right to his point. The list of gym names, he said, wasn’t complete.
Incredibly, one of the gymnasiums at John Oliver secondary — ostensibly the girls gym — is named for three women, Mary Macdonald, Mary Campbell and Pat Spencer, all of them retired P.E. teachers.
That is a lot of names. Is it the Macdonald-Campbell-Spencer Gym? The MCS Gym? The Two-Marys-And-A-Pat Gym?
“As I recall, the first name is Mary Macdonald, the second name is Mary Campbell and the third name is Pat Spencer. That is the order they taught there,” said Marshall, adding Macdonald started her career in the ’30s or ’40s but not to quote him on a date. “Mary left in 1961, Mary came in about 1962 or so and left in ’89, and Pat came there in ’75 and left in about 2010, let’s say.
"I know them well because I taught with all of those people. In fact, I hired a couple of them but that is besides the point.”
He is now one of my favourite people. Anyone who telephones a newspaper -- even to complain about headlines -- almost certainly makes it into my heart.
He was a student at J.O. and then as an adult he taught P.E. there from 1954 to 1987. The main school gym has his name on it. (The initial story I wrote has that part correct. I listed his name and Macdonald’s only.)
“I go to every reunion that they have and I’ve been to as many as five in one year,” he said.
He also called the dailes with high school scores and was every day disappointed when they weren't published. He's a champion for school athletics.
The UBC alum took his teacher training with Norma McDermott who was honoured only a few years ago at Eric Hamber secondary in the same way Evans and Marshall were recognized at their second homes.
