Life Care residents remember their favorite teachers

It’s back-to-school season, so we asked our residents which teacher or coach made the biggest impact on their life. From kindergarten to college, we got some fascinating answers.

“My coach Bud McCall was a very kind and understanding coach. He always had a plan and never screamed at us when we didn’t execute it perfectly. He taught me how to be a good leader and that patience is key when coaching young people.”

Ernie S.
Life Care Center of Blount County in Louisville, Tennessee

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“Ms. Markantonio. She was blind and taught all of us in first grade.”

Pauline F.
Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau, Missouri

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“Ms. McDonald, third grade. She taught earthquake shelter. Years later, I lived through an earthquake and remembered what she taught. Thank God for Ms. McDonald.”

Charlene L.
Life Care Center of Paradise Valley in Phoenix

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“Helyn Flannigan, my dance teacher, was the biggest impact on my life. I started dance when I was 12. Then, later, my children took lessons from her also. She was the most personable lady I’ve ever met. If you ever met her, you would fall in love with her like everybody else did. She’s now 107 years old. Helyn once performed on ‘I Love Lucy.’”

Norma M.
Life Care Center of Punta Gorda, Florida

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“Mrs. Smith – she was the teacher who commanded respect and would redirect childish behavior into positive and productive behavior. She would make the class clowns learn home skills like cleaning, sweeping and ironing whenever they would act up as opposed to referrals to the principal.”

John B.
Life Care Center of Hendersonville, North Carolina

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“My dad was my best coach! He taught me basketball and football, but I wasn’t tough enough or big enough to play either one. I could play ping-pong, which my dad taught me to play too. My dad taught me a lot of things. I love him!”

Gene H.
Garden Terrace at Fort Worth, Texas

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“I had a P.E. teacher who was an ex-paratrooper who jumped into Normandy on D-Day. He used to tell us about his experiences, and I would always wonder how I would have reacted in that situation.”

John M.
Life Care Center of Sandpoint, Idaho

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“Bible study teacher made the biggest impact in my life because he taught me about the Bible.”

Patricia E.
Life Care Center of Estero, Florida

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“Mrs. Johnson. She’d take me under her wing. She would buy me clothes, take me to her house, teach me manners, show me how to paint and shared her passion for the arts when she was hiatus in summer. She was a very nice lady!”

Betty R.
Life Care Center of LaGrange, Indiana

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“The coach that made the biggest impact on my life would be my physical therapist, Matt. When I first started therapy, my legs were very swollen. Matt helps me feel encouraged. He’s lovable, funny and still makes sure all the exercises are done. He reminds me that you can still have fun while getting better. He’s great because he eats candy with me and lets me call him Mr. Potato Head.”

Linda B.
Life Care Center of Leominster, Massachusetts

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“The director of the Pacific Institute in Seattle, Washington. I went to one of their seminars, which taught me, ‘Practice does not make perfect. You can be awfully good at doing it the wrong way.’ But, ‘Practice of perfection makes perfect.’”

Kenneth C.
Life Care Center of Gray, Tennessee

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“My music teacher, Mr. Manuel. He was an outstanding person. He was a go-getter. We were always on the go with the band. We represented Florida in the President Carter Inaugural Parade.”

Dawn B.
Life Care Center of New Port Richey, Florida

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“My Sunday school teacher taught the meaning of staying on the straight and narrow path and not being consumed by the world we live in. I taught the straight and narrow path to my children as well.”

Joyce M.
Life Care Center of Hendersonville, North Carolina

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“Mrs. Dolly Bess McCarty made the biggest impact on my life. She was my high school English, speech and drama teacher. She was very kind, highly intelligent and also tremendously personable. I wouldn’t be a teacher if I hadn’t met her.”

George G.
Garden Terrace at Houston

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“My choir teacher. She taught me to sing in the choir in grade school. She always told me, ‘When you sing, you pray twice.’ She always brought me great joy!”

Rita A.
Life Care Center of Medina, Ohio

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“First grade, Mrs. Rader. She toted us like babies, and that’s what we were. She just babied us.”

Earline W.
The Heritage Center in Morristown, Tennessee

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“Mrs. Pinto encouraged me in a project about Vietnam POWs. I was very concerned and felt I had to do something to make a stand. She made me feel very accomplished and satisfied in my work.”

Anna V.
Life Care Center of Port St. Lucie, Florida

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“One of my elementary school teachers had good penmanship, and it inspired me to do the same. She taught writing and was good at teaching it.”

Janet W.
Life Care Center of Kennewick, Washington

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“Mr. Craig. We liked the fact that we had a man influence because there weren’t many male teachers.”

Jennifer A.
Life Care Center of Red Bank in Chattanooga, Tennessee

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“My basketball coach. He always encouraged me in all sports. He took care of the whole team. He made sure we all got enough rest, that we ate very well and that we were ready for the next game.”

John B.
Life Care Center of Pueblo, Colorado

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“The head nurse in my nursing school program. She was instrumental in making me the nurse I am. She pushed me to finish school, even when I thought it was too hard to do.”

Margaret P.
Life Care Center of Blount County in Louisville, Tennessee

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“My football coach – he taught me to do the best I can, no matter what it is. He also said to take care of people in need. He led me to the Boy Scouts. He was trustworthy and honest as any man can be!”

Mariano S.
Life Care Center of Punta Gorda, Florida

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“Dorothy Stufey. She didn’t take no guff. The boys were always out of line, and she knew how to take them down.”

Belva S.
Life Care Center of Sandpoint, Idaho

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“Third grade, Ms. Hendricks. I missed a lot of school due to asthma. She came to our home to teach me.”

Walter O.
Life Care Center of Paradise Valley in Phoenix

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“My male and female kindergarten teachers. I came from a troubled home and had anxiety issues. It’s been many years since then, and I cannot recall their names, but the care and attention that my two kindergarten teachers gave me to help me adjust made me want to teach young children to pass forward the kind and gentle human nature these two influenced in my life. I’ll forever be grateful to these two souls for taking the time to care about me!”

Molly S.
Life Care Center of LaGrange, Indiana

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“Mrs. Z. in homemaking class. I always knew I wanted to be a mother, and she taught me how to cook and sew. She made me a better person.”

Rosemarie O.
Life Care Center of New Port Richey, Florida

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“Miss Mangan – she was a math teacher. She was my fifth and sixth grade teacher. I was doing poor in math. She worked well with me and helped me to learn math and actually enjoy working on math problems. By the time I graduated, I ended up liking math.”

June D.
Life Care Center of Hendersonville, North Carolina

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“Mr. Morris, my sixth-grade teacher. He was the one who realized that I had a learning disability. And he made schoolwork and homework that I could understand.”

Kristin H.
Life Care Center of Red Bank in Chattanooga, Tennessee

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“After having a rough time at one Catholic school, I was transferred to another, where Mother St. Anna took me under her wing. My life completely changed. It was once again enjoyable to go to school and live.”

Marianne G.
Life Care Center of Port St. Lucie, Florida

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“Mr. Clark, the principal – the honesty he pushed when we played. He wanted us to play fair and to be considerate of others in all circumstances.”

Katherine D.
Life Care Center of Estero, Florida