The Healing Journey

July 19, 2025

One of Joe’s unforgettable high school memories was the time Brother Jerry took a swing at him in English class and knocked off his glasses because he had disobeyed the directions. Intentionally. He never told his father, or he would have gotten another whack when he got home; however, the incident was his Red Badge of Courage for the rest of senior year, and decades later, his classmates still remembered it.

He often wondered what happened to Brother Jerry, who also gave him the highest grade he ever gave. It was truly a love-hate relationship. He knew that he eventually left the religious order and got married and had kids, and years later, Jerry sent him a letter from his home in the Midwest, where he had moved.

About 50 years after graduation, his name came up again when some of his classmates had an impromptu reunion on Zoom, so Joe spent the afternoon googling Jerry and discovered, tragically, that he had died. After hours of searching, all he could find was a two-paragraph obituary in the Chicago Tribune that mentioned his two children and said he had retired from teaching in a public school outside of the city. He had died at 61. Such a young age. Joe read through the condolences from his former students:

“He was one of my favorite faces in the English department when I was a student. He told me I was bright and gave me Toni Morrison’s literary criticism and Gwendolyn Brooks’ poetry to read. He presented me with the English Department award when I graduated in 1997. His distinctive sense of humor and encouragement got me through many rough times in high school.”

“He was one of my favorite teachers, and I know many people would agree. Last month, I was on vacation with Greg, and we put on my Bob Seger CD. When “Night Moves” came on, I commented on how that song will always remind me of Mr. W. because we analyzed it in class. Greg couldn’t have agreed more. We often talk about how fun that class was and how much we learned. He will never be forgotten.”
©J Pisani

***