We knew the day would come, but we just weren't sure when. As I stared at the e-mail message forwarded from our PTA president earlier this summer that announced the end of an era, I felt shock and disbelief, despite knowing that this day was inevitable. We kept hearing rumors that our beloved Mary Hawkinson was considering retirement, but each year there was her smiling face at her desk behind piles of papers organized in Mary fashion.

After 31 years at Loyal Heights, Mary Hawkinson, our administrative secretary, finally decided the time was right.

It was in 1977 that Mary started out as an office assistant, but her main job was monitoring the playground - by herself. Marty Moore, the principal at the time responsible for hiring Mary, told Mary, "I hired you because I loved the blue dress you had on!" (Marty was a woman, so the comment was a compliment, not harassment. Little did Ms. Moore know what a great addition she made, let alone one with great fashion sense.) Maybe Ms. Moore's motives in hiring Mary would raise eyebrows today, but wow, did Loyal Heights inherit a gem.

In her 31 years of tenure at Loyal Heights, Mary trained 10 principals, and she saw over 10,600 students pass through the halls. When she began, the only office technology she had was a typewriter and a telephone. She reminisced over the changes in technology, lamenting about the mimeograph machine. And we thought Mary was the savior to all our copy machine woes, Mary had to come in to fix problems with the mimeograph machine, many times ending up in a black ink mess all over the place. Another big change she has witnessed is the curriculum, especially in Kindergarten. "Years back kindergarten was socialization and a lot of playtime. Now there's a bigger emphasis on academics."

Mary has some stories to share. There was the big snowstorm in 1990 and dozens of children were stuck at school without a way home. This was in the days of mandatory busing and the bus could not get to Loyal Heights.

"The bus did not get there until 9 o'clock at night. Those kids did not have anything to eat, so Tom Slawson (the principal at the time) and I raided Sue's refrigerator looking for leftovers and also went around to homes in the neighborhood collecting food. My husband called and told me 'this is the last time I'm going to shovel the driveway' and I told him, 'well good, because the bus just arrived. You can come get me.'" She then finished her story not thinking about how late she was there, but about the children. "Those poor kids probably didn't get home until midnight. Could you imagine?" Typical Mary - caring about our kids and putting them above all else.

You think parents went crazy during the lice epidemic we had the last two springs? That's nothing. Mary recalled the mother in 1986 that threatened to sue her because her child got head lice. And then the earthquake - the principal at the time asked Mary in a slight panic, "Mary, what do we do?" Mary, always quick on her feet, knew the earthquake drill, was able to coach the principal, keep things calm and the kids safe.

Kathy Katzen, who Mary was responsible for hiring in 1992, complemented these stories of Mary as always being the go-to gal. "Mary is the heart and soul of Loyal Heights. She is the miracle worker. She knows everyone, knows how to find the answers, she is the counselor and psychologist. We always joke that Mary has a direct connection to God!"

Maybe one of the reasons Mary stayed on so long, despite her husband John's pleas for an earlier retirement, was she just loved her job. For her, everyday was different. "I love all the children, all the staff, and all the parents. How many people have that privilege?" Mary responded fondly. Her favorite thing about her job is the children, and one thing she will miss the most is seeing the faces of the new kindergarteners. "Every year I just have to go see them. I can't resist going into their classrooms and looking at their faces so full of wonder."

Mary promises to come back to volunteer and say hi. So we will still have the pleasure of seeing her bright smiling face.

As Mary cleaned out her desk, with a tear in her eye, we said "goodbye." Mary, we will miss you too.

Lori Monlux

Ballard