The Hood River County School District will lose some of its most familiar faces — and some not-so-familiar faces — to retirement this year, many who have been with the district for as long as three decades.

The school district honored the retiring teachers and classified employees at a reception last week, and it was apparent that some of the shoes they are leaving are going to be tough to fill.

One of the retirees-to-be is Geri Murray, who started with the district in 1978 as the personnel secretary. Though her position was eventually renamed personnel administrative assistant, Murray has been with the district for 30 continuous years. She received a standing ovation from those present at the retirement party.

“Over the years, she has trained 12 assistant superintendents,” said Connie Kennedy, assistant superintendent. “I am number 12.

“Geri told me that I’m it — after me she can’t do any more; and besides, the next one would be number 13 and that didn’t sound like a lucky number to either of us.”

It was clearly an emotional parting for both women. Murray was visibly moved when Kennedy added, “Clear back when I began, we both agreed that we would go together, and we have done just that. I know you didn’t want to have to start over and train another administrator, and I couldn’t stick around to train another you. I’m smart enough to know there won’t be another YOU.”

Schools Superintendent Pat Evenson-Brady also gave a reluctant goodbye to Barb Ritoch, who first worked for the district in 1979-1982 as a teacher’s assistant at Westside Elementary, then was hired at the district office in 1983 as a speech assistant with student services.

A similar void is being left at Cascade Locks school, where Nancy Thomas is retiring after 27 years as the school’s secretary. Though Principal Ed Drew has only worked with her for a couple of those years, he knows her value to the school.

“Nancy is Cascade Locks,” he said. “She knows everyone: She knows everyone’s kids; she knows everyone’s parents; she knows everyone’s grandparents. If you want to know anything about Cascade Locks, she knows the answer.

“She has worked here for 27 years and has worked under six principals,” he said. “She has been a great asset to our school and community. We will really miss her.”

Another longtime classified employee who is retiring at the end of the school year is Leslie Melby, who has worked for the school district, directly or indirectly, since 1969. She started out as a secretary at what was then May Street Junior High School, taking time off from 1971-1976 to raise her second child.

She returned as an instructional assistant in the high needs program at Mid Valley, and moved with the program to May Street. In 1984 she transferred to Hood River Valley High School, where she worked with learning disabled students. She eventually became a vocational transition technician, and ended her career in the position of study hall supervisor.

“I’ve gone through many principals as well as seen the high school change from the open walls to real classrooms and then the new wing,” she said. “Being involved in our union, I have met many individuals around the state and Hood River School District is one of the best in the state.”

Melby has been involved in the OSSOM program (Oregon Student Safety On the Move) since it began and has been a strong advocate of the foreign exchange program, and along with Barb Hosford supervised the Exchange Club to support the high school’s exchange students.

HRVHS is losing another longtime classified employee this year: Carolyn McDaniel, who has been with the district since 1981, when she started as a special education aide at Wy’east. She has worked at HRVHS since 1983, teaching life skills to ninth-graders, and working as an instructional assistant in special ed. Since 2005 she has worked as a library media specialist.

Not having as long a tenure as the others, perhaps, but leaving his imprint on Hood River Valley regardless is retiring Prevention Specialist Jovil Galvez, who started in that position in 2000. Principal Steve Fisk said that Galvez’ gift of communication has contributed to the school’s greatly reduced drop-out rate for Hispanic students.

“When he came on board we were losing lots of Latino kids,” Fisk said. “He knows people well, and knows how to reach them.”

Rich Hedges is also retiring this year, after 23 years as a health and PE teacher at Hood River Valley High School. His credits include teaming with Dave Radley to lead the Hood River County Schools Wellness Team; coaching track and cross country during all those years, including state championships; and putting on the Learning by Doing track clinic to the valley, bringing world-class and nationally known athletes and coaches to work with young people.

Cascade Locks is also losing a teacher who has been a fixture at the school for 24 years, teaching vocal and instrumental music: Richard Dramer. His wife, Judy, who will also retire soon from her position in the cafeteria, was honored at the reception as well.

Other favorite teachers who are leaving this year are Kathy Oates, kindergarten teacher at Mid Valley; Cheryl Madsen, longtime May Street teacher, and Kay Schmerber, eighth-grade teacher at Hood River Middle School.

Oates started her teaching career in 1976 at Pine Grove Elementary and moved the next year to Parkdale Elementary before taking time off to raise her family, returning to teach kindergarten at Mid Valley in 1995.

Madsen came to the district in 1972, teaching four years at May Street and a year at Frankton before she, too, took time off to raise her family. She returned to May Street in 1986, teaching first grade until her retirement this year.

Schmerber began teaching at Hood River Middle School in 2001 and, according to Principal Bob Dais, won Teacher of the Year her first year. Her father and sister, also a teacher, were present at the reception.

Westside Elementary and Mid Valley Elementary are both losing cafeteria employees, with Janet Stanphill, who has worked in the district since 1989, and Connie Payne, since 2004, retiring this year.

The school district’s loss is the retirees’ gain, as most of them were looking forward to time for grandchildren, time to travel, and, as Geri Murray said, “time to let someone else enjoy the job!”