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Custodian at St. Helens High School
retires after 33 years
Christine Menges/The Chronicle
Tim Luttrell, custodian of 33 years, retired to a rousing chorus of applause and high-fives, captured from St. Helens High School students in the hallway on Thursday, Dec. 12. CHRISTINE MENGES chronicle2@countrymedia.net
After 33 years of serving as a custodian at St. Helens High School, Tim Luttrell retired on Thursday, Dec. 12. As a send-off, the school hosted a surprise: At 10 a.m., students, teachers and staff lined the hallways of the high school and after a brief announcement, they all burst into applause as Tim Luttrell was guided out of the main office where he had been meeting with Principal Dr. Katy Wagner, and around the school to a rousing chorus of applause, giving high-fives and the occasional hug along the way. Luttrell has been working at the school since 1986, and also grew up in the area and attended SHHS himself, graduating in 1978. If the applause and high fives are any indication, Luttrell will be sorely missed. SHHS Principal Dr. Katy Wagner, who has been principal of SHHS for two years, said even in the short time that she has known him, Luttrell has made an impact. “He is the most caring,
devoted man I think I’ve ever worked with. He has a place in his heart for all of the students and the staff members. He’s committed to his job,” Wagner said. Wagner said she scheduled the surprise for Luttrell after she and staff members came together to brainstorm a way they could honor him. There were a couple of things she and staff members did, Wagner said. One was a cash collection to support Luttrell in his retirement. Another tribute was having a bunch of staff members come together to write cards and thank you notes, presenting Luttrell with the giant packet of cards at a later date. There was one more way that Wagner and staff members wanted to include the students in honoring Luttrell as well, brainstorming different ways they could do so. Inspiration struck when Wagner knew she would have to meet with Luttrell to revise and update his job description before looking for a replacement. Wagner’s office is located at the front of the school, the part where two hallways intersect, connecting the school together. “We thought it would be
a good time to just have a good surprise and have him walk through the school one last time,” Wagner said. As Luttrell walked through the school, multiple students stopped him for hugs, and a few staff members stayed around at the end to convey their congratulations and thank him for his service. Not all employees, even ones who work over three decades, will get a sendoff like this. Luttrell is just something special, as many students and staff reported as they came up to talk to Luttrell after the send-off. Maybe it has to do with Luttrell’s favorite part of the job: the kids. “I really enjoy seeing kids and teasing kids and just trying to be a support to them if they need help or just an ear to talk to, or anything like that,” Luttrell said. One of the most common ways Luttrell said he offers his support is by calming nervous freshmen when they enter the school. According to Luttrell, some of the new students come to school shaking because they’re so nervous, and have trouble doing the combination on their locker. Luttrell
lets them know everything will be all right. “I enjoy comforting the kids that are here that are spazzed out and worried about having a lot of anxiety,” Luttrell said. Over the last 30 or so years, Luttrell has seen a lot of changes at SHHS. He said he has been through 11 principals. He’s also seen the advent of cell phones entering students’ lives. One trend Luttrell said he has noticed over the years is a more negative trend in students’ mental health. “It seems like kids are more depressed now than say 20, 25 years ago. I don’t know if it’s our culture or society or something,” Luttrell said. This observation is backed by scientific research: rates of an adolescent having had a major depressive episode in the last year have increased 52% from 2005-2017 among adolescents aged 12 to 17, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which was analyzed in a paper published this year by the American Psychological Association. But there is something positive Luttrell has ob-
served within that trend. “I always find, even now, that kids are so resilient. I don’t understand sometimes how they can be so resilient, the things that they go through,” Luttrell said. Luttrell will miss the staff as well. “Everybody’s been very understanding and forgiving, and I think that’s really been key in my longevity is that people are just very, very good to work for,” Lutrell said. In his retirement, Luttrell has a couple of plans. One is to get started with some
home remodeling. He will also spend time with family and do some volunteering, starting with working at St. Helens Middle School during lunch time. If there’s one way to sum up Luttrell’s impact on students and staff at the school, it’s one of his catch phrases that SHHS students will no longer hear. Luttrell would repeat it whenever anybody apologetically walked through a floor he had just cleaned. “I would say, ‘no that’s okay. I clean a lot of souls,’” Luttrell said.
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