Retiring teacher leaves with fond memories

After 33 years, Marilyn Greco, a veteran teacher at Colfax High School, plans to retire this year. She has taught two generations of many local families. In fact, she taught English and journalism to several current high school staff members, including MikeO'Connell, Karen Cook, Terry O'Keefe and Justin Heimann. "Marilyn came here when I was a sophomore in high school," said CHS English teacher and freshmen basketball coach O'Connell. "She was a good teacher, demanding, but fair. She was a favorite among the boys because she was so attractive."Now, she is a colleague and a friend," he added.Greco, 59, raised in San Bernardino, attended the University of California at Berkeley. After graduating in 1969 with a degree in history, she traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe with girlfriends. She also worked as a typist in the Department of Psychiatry at University of California at San Diego and as a bibliographic technician in a naval neuro-psychiatric research unit on Point Loma. "I learned a lot of things in those two years that were useless to my career, but interesting in life," Greco said. "My Latin came in very handy."It wasn't long before she met her future husband, Paul Greco, while accompanying a high school buddy on a trip to visit military friends in Apple Valley, a small town in Southern California's high desert. "He was the only non-military guy there," Greco remembered. "He had long hair, a mustache and was taller than I was."Greco said she has never seen her husband without a mustache.The couple married in 1971 and lived in Apple Valley for two years before deciding they'd had enough of the desert. In 1974 they settled in Meadow Vista where they raised three smart, athletic boys."She has been a supporter of athletics for years," said Principal Rick Spears. "Marilyn and her husband, Paul, still cook the team meals for the varsity football team before every home game, even though they haven't had a son in the program for six years."The Greco sons, Vic, 29, Alec, 26 and John Paul (J.P.), 24; who all went on to play intercollegiate football, are college graduates. Greco enjoyed having her boys at Colfax High because she had their friends in classes and they were so involved in sports. One of her favorite aspects of teaching is that she has taught many children of her students from the '70s and '80s. But, still, she thinks that perhaps the past two years have been the best of all because she loves teaching world studies and she has had many of her students as both freshmen and sophomores. This way she really gets to know the kids."I've had her for three classes, so I feel like she really understands my needs as a student," said sophomore Kyle Poirier. "Sometimes I need a little more time on in-class work and she's a little more flexible about that. She has a nice personality and makes learning fun."Sophomore Chanel Filteau is pleased to have Greco for the second consecutive year. "I had Mrs. Greco for English when I was a freshman and now I have her for world studies," Filteau said. "I feel like I can talk to her and she always has good stories to tell - especially about her sons. You can tell how proud she is of them. She has a shrine foreach one of them in her room with their photos and accomplishments. She is a good person all around."Greco has taught 29 different classes, or versions of classes, at Colfax High. She was the CSF (California Scholarship Federation) advisor for 10 years, the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) instructor and was one of the original teachers for WorkExperience, a class where students learn the behavioral skills and work habits necessary to succeed in the workplace. Her resume also includes a college prep elective designed primarily for Vietnamese students who immigrated here after the Vietnam War. She taught those students about U.S. culture and the college system. In 1975, Greco's younger sister, Linda Schroyer, also taught in this program for the summer session.Greco was formerly advisor to yearbook, the student newspaper, ski club, and GATE (gifted and talented education). Attendance secretary Karen Cook, from the Class of 1980, was a student of Greco's. "Mrs. Greco was my English teacher and she has a very good memory," Cook said. "She tells everyone that I was in her class and that we gave her a baby shower for the arrival of her first son. She even remembers what we gave her! We're going to miss her."Although she would like Greco to stay, sophomore Carly Rich hopes her teacher has fun in her travels.And travel is exactly what Greco plans to do. Paul retired from teaching six years ago, and after this school year, they'll be able to travel together whenever they like."This is the first year since 1982 that we won't have fall sports for our boys," Greco mused.Eldest son Vic's first soccer game was the day after youngest son J.P. was born in 1982. And, J.P.'s last college football game took place last December."We're going to take our fifth wheel to all of the beaches of the continental United States," Greco said. "One coast at a time." Greco won't be absent every day from school, though. She plans to substitute at Colfax High as a way of easing into her retirement.