Today I was scrolling through Facebook and saw on my old school page that someone I knew while I was working there was diagnosed with cancer. My heart sank. They were asking the community for prayers.

For five years I taught at this school and in that time I was blessed to have met so many wonderful students, families, parishioners, and co-workers. There are always names and faces you don’t forget and for me Mr. Dooley was one of them. He was exceptional. In my time there he left an impression and I know it wasn’t just with me.

Mr. Dooley was a lifelong resident of the town I taught in and had retired many years before we even met. He was also a parishioner at the church my school was affiliated with and volunteered every day to do lunch duty for all grade levels. He was a true saint among men because lunch was never a duty most people wanted to be part of. His wife had passed away, his daughter was working, and he always said that he needed a reason to wake up every morning and he truly loved being with, and getting to know, all the students.

Every day when I dropped my kids off at lunch it was a guarantee that Mr. Dooley would tell me a story about his family, time in town, ask about my travels, and inquire about how my family was. There was never a time I didn’t feel as though he was just making conversation. He loved to talk. Even more than talking though, he loved to laugh. He always had a joke or two ready to share when the conversation drifted off.

He truly spent time getting to know the children and always said such wonderful things about his own daughter. Never was he not dressed in slacks and a polo and walked down the hallway to the cafeteria every day with a smile on his face. There was not one person who passed through that building he didn’t talk to and when he missed a day, for whatever reason, his absence was felt.

He was respected. The kids were kind to him, and while some of them might have said he talked too much, they never gave him a hard time. They were kind enough to save the bad behaviors for anyone but Mr. Dooley. He had this gentleness about him so being unkind to Mr. Dooley was a crime and not tolerated. Only a handful of times would “tattle” on the students and that was only after he had tried to diffuse whatever situation was happening himself. He was their biggest cheerleaders.

When I made the decision to take some time off Mr. Dooley made sure told me every day he would miss me, but knew about Ella and completely understood why i wanted to be with my family. He prayed for us daily and always told me that family was our most important priority as they carry on our legacy. He worked hard his adult life to provide for his own and never took his relationships for granted. You could tell as hard as he worked, he loved just the same.

I can only imagine the countless memories he created while he was a lunch monitor. I remember going back to visit when I was pregnant with Jack and the pure joy on his face when he saw me and found out I was pregnant. We talked an entire lunch period. I had forgotten how much I missed him. He didn’t miss a beat at our reunion.

I had heard that after the school closed Mr. Dooley moved away with his daughter. He loved his hometown and the routine and life he had built. I can imagine that move was bittersweet for him. I can also imagine he quickly made new friends where he went. He wasn’t a man who sat around or was shy by any means.

My prayers will continue to be with him and his family as they navigate this difficult season of their lives . I picture him having made friends with all the nurses and still telling his goofy jokes to anyone who will listen. I know the chances of me seeing him again are slim, but near or far my memories of him are everlasting.

I am so incredibly grateful to have played even the smallest role in his life and am better for having met him. I hope everyone finds a Mr. Dooley.

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