The name Don Widmeyer may not be recognizable to you, unless of course you attended John Mahood Public School in the last 23 years. Widmeyer, the school’s head custodian, is retiring after 30 years working for the Waterloo Region District School Board. “I’ve see a lot faces pass through these hallways,” said Widmeyer. “It’s time to get out when you start seeing parents who used to go to the school and now they have kids here. That’s scary. You wonder ‘has it really been that long?’ It doesn’t seem like it: 23 years here have gone pretty quick.”
In 1981 Widmeyer started working at St. Jacobs PS and moved to EDSS four years later. After three years at the high school he took a position at Mahood and made it his home until the end of this school year.
“I was young when I started. I had worked in the stockyards and I was pretty rugged when I came out of there. I wasn’t cut out for this type of work really, but everything turned out well and I have enjoyed it,” he said. “I am looking forward to the retirement: 30 years in the same business is a long time. This is the longest I have held any job, but it just feels like the right time to step away.”
Widmeyer, who’ll turn 64 this month, has some big plans for his retirement.
“I am looking forward to taking care of my raised garden that I have at home. I have two sons living out west with grandchildren and I am going to be spending a lot of time out there.”
He will also be working on a casual basis for the Waterloo Catholic District School Board as a custodian but will hold a special place for Mahood.
“Best part of this job is seeing all the kids enjoying themselves and making something out of themselves.
Plus the staff that’s here, they make or break the kids and these teachers are here for the kids – I have enjoyed seeing that for the last few years,” he said.
Watching quietly from the hallways, Widmeyer has noticed students face more challenges today than they did when he first started.
“Kids nowadays need more help academically and physically. I don’t know why this has happened but I’ve seen this change occur over the years, there needs to be more help for these kids who are struggling; someone needs to wake up and realize this, it’s not rocket science.”
The students and staff of Mahood held a surprise retirement party for their favorite custodian on June 24.
As Widmeyer entered the gymnasium the crowd inside erupted with thunderous cheers and applause while students banged hockey sticks against drums in appreciation of his hard work and acknowledging the mini-hockey league he organizes at the school.
“It has become a big part of our school’s tradition,” said Tracy Tait, principal at John Mahood, of the mini-hockey league.
Just a few years into his duties at Mahood, Widmeyer noticed a group of children playing roughly outside during a recess period and decided to take action.
“They were just swearing, fighting and tearing around and as I watched them for a while I thought to myself there has to be a better way of doing this, so I started a hockey league and gathered the students together, organized them into teams and I refereed it,” he explained.
Over the next 20 years, the league escalated to the point where Widmeyer has anywhere from 60 to 70 Grade 4 and 5 students in the gym on any given day.
“Ability does not matter, gender does not matter: it’s boys and girls just having a fun time,” said Tait. “We hope it will continue next year even though (Widmeyer) won’t be with us.”
Taking charge of 60 plus students at one time has amazed many parents and teachers, who ask Widmeyer how he does it on a daily basis.
‘It’s a riot, I just love it. We set the rules and all the kids know them,” he said. “If I don’t like what a certain student is doing I just point to the door and they leave, it’s just that simple. I won’t mess with them, I just want them to come in here and have some fun. It’s all about teaching them teamwork and learning to get along with one another.”
During the retirement celebration students read out letters of thanks and classes stood and sang songs about Widmeyer, ending with a group of boys singing the Stompin’ Tom classic, The Hockey Song. That may have brought a little tear to Widmeyer, but he was quick to wipe it away.
“He’s such an important part of this community, he is just wonderful,” said Tait. “He is leaving some big shoes to fill.”
