JOHN KLUKA (BD WR) With the closing of Aquinas High School in Southgate, Fr. John Menner, C.S.B. offered me a teaching position at Catholic Central in May of 2000. I began teaching 10th Grade English and a Freshmen Old Testament class. The next year I was moved to the Theology Department where I taught seniors and sophomores until I retired in June of 2012. There is a television commercial that asks the question: “What would you pay yourself to do?” For me the answer is in volunteering. I volunteer three days a week at an ecumenical food bank that serves eight communities. It is rewarding to see people being able to select food for their families, and it is a way of continuing the Gospel’s message of caring for our brothers and sisters. BRIAN KOLKA (BD WR) SHERRILL LEFFORGE (BD WR) Thinking of the fact that some of my former students are now on the faculty of CC, I was reminded of the many things I expected of them. But then again they always rose to the occasion! Hopefully, I’ll do the same. I am the baby of retirees – not the youngest but one of the most recently retired. I began teaching at CC in August 1994. I would have started earlier but there were hardly ever any openings. I started teaching in the archdiocese in August 1977 and retired in June 2013.
I often think of the years I spent at CC (1998-2009) with fondness and a smile. I really miss the nice rapport I had with many of the students, especially those who understood my sense of humor, guys like Palazeti, Bowling, Bellino, Horal, Sarlitto, Waterstradt, Rogowski, and many others. My garage (the closest I have to a ‘man cave’) is decorated with the many pennants given to me by my students. Many probably didn’t realize it at the time, but I really respected them. Several of the faculty will always be dear to me, and I hold them in my heart. Since leaving CC, some days I think my departure may have been too soon. For a couple of years I did some subbing at Northville High School and the Plymouth/Canton high schools. I did a lot of golfing without seeing any improvement in that frustrating game. I have been able to get in some travel that I always wanted to do. I went to Rome and many other cities in Italy, as well as Paris, Normandy, Athens, Santorini, and Belize. Many were an adventure and created many memories. While reading, I do often catch myself telling myself that “this would be good information for my students” or “this would make a real good Kolka Friday Philosophy.” I still reside in Canton, Michigan and will probably be here for a while. I sincerely hope the guys I had in my history classes realize the great experience they had as men of CC. I wish them the very best.
While at CC I taught Old Testament, Catholic Faith, Sacraments, AP American History, the Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture, and Who is Jesus Christ? I loved my years at CC! I think I’ll always speak of CC in the present tense. I am CC too! And the young men of CC will always be ‘my boys.’ I live in Redford Township and soon I’ll be volunteering in the Spiritual Care Department at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia. I know I’ll have many CC connections there – dads, moms, and former students. How blessed I am! Men of CC, always remember the Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge to which we are called. Many of you heard me ‘preach’ on this so I won’t repeat myself. Thank you, parents, for establishing it and letting me build-a-bit on it. If the football jersey looks familiar, I got it from Fr. Ned who got it when we moved to our fifth and permanent home on Wixom Road. I’ll be donating it to put in the archives.
And the young men of CC will always be ‘my boys.’ - Sherrill Lefforge T H E V O C AT I O N O F T E A C H I N G • FA L L 2 0 1 4
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