Retired Faculty –Where are They Now?

By Debby Jennings

Joni Heinzelmann

Third Grade 2000-2022

Although she retired in 2022, Joni has remained connected with FWCD by substituting in the Lower School, tutoring, and attending Club Viginti events. She is an enthusiastic Horned Frog fan and attends many TCU football and basketball games. Next summer, she and her husband, Matt, will travel to Ireland to watch the Frogs play an international game. She was also recently appointed to the Friends of the TCU Library Board.

Joni stays active with pilates, joined a pickleball team, and is learning to golf. She volunteers twice a month at the Warm Place and is always ready to lend a hand at her church.

Joni has four young grandchildren who keep her busy. Her son, Ben ’07, works for Energy Domain in Fort Worth and has a daughter, Adeline and a son, Bahner. Her daughter, Annie Heinzelmann Lawrence ’10, is an interior designer in Oklahoma City and has two boys: Paskle and Benton. Joni travels to see them often. She plans to watch as many sporting and school events for her grandchildren, just as she did at FWCD for her own children.

Joni had fun working at FWCD with her third grade team. She said that she and Kathy Williams had a great time writing the songs each year for the Book Character performance. She commented that the talent show was also memorable because so many children came alive when they got on the stage. When asked for the advice she would give her former students, she said, “I would encourage all of them to stay close to their FWCD friends. Lifelong friendships are very special. They ‘knew you when’ and can support you through life’s events.”

Steve Stackhouse

Asst. Head of School/ Head of US/ US History Teacher 1997-2020

Steve and his wife, Laura, moved from Fort Worth to Alexandria, Virginia, in January. The move was a homecoming, as Steve grew up in Virginia and has friends and family in the area. “Down the street from my house, you can see the Capitol across the Potomac, which is a kick for an old history/government teacher,” he said.

The Stackhouses also spend time in Bozeman, Montana, and visit Yellowstone National Park, to enjoy the changing seasons. Last year, Steve taught a class designed to help students think about their educational path and navigate a university setting at Montana State University. He said it was different from his FWCD teaching experience, and he appreciated Daniel Lancaster’s help in preparing him for the class.

Since retirement, Steve and Bill Arnold ’86 have hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail. He also joined a marathon training group, took art lessons, and learned to scuba dive.

When asked what he remembers most about his years at FWCD, he said, “Recently, I found a photo from the dedication of the Bryant Irvin gate and campus road. That project was the first step in the master plan, which included the dining hall, campus center, arts building, Middle School Expansion, and field house. I was fortunate to see all these projects come to fruition.” Steve also has fond memories of his time in the classroom, where he taught AP Government, Economics, World Religions, and Modern Problems.“There is something very special about the Country Day connection,” he said. “That is why I hung around for 23+ years.”