McBride High School
Classes of 1925 - 1975
Robert Ballinger
Residing In: | Cuyahoga Falls, OH USA |
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Spouse: | Virginia |
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Occupation: | Teacher of French and English (retired) |
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Children: | Rose Louise Ballinger who died at birth in 1980. In 2009, I began funding a scholarship in her memory More… |
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Robert's Latest Interactions
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Bro. Jim Maus, one of the kindest individuals I have ever met in my life. During the 1967-68 academic year, I was a member of the Marianist order and was assigned to teach French at McBride High School. Bro. Jim, who was in the vow group one year ahead of me and who was a good friend of mine during our Scholasticate years at St. Mary's University, had been teaching at McBride a year when I arrived. He took me under his wing that year and was so very helpful in my transition to a new school assignment. Bro. Jim invited me to join with a few other brothers for the nightly "review of the day" discussions which were very enlightening and spirited sessions held in the kitchen. Bro. Jim learned that I wanted to learn to play the guitar. He arranged to borrow his dad's guitar which gave me the opportunity to learn chord progressions of several folk songs popular at the time. At the end of the summer of 1968, when I had decided not to renew my temporary vows and to leave the Marianist order, I approached Bro. Jim to return his dad's guitar to him, he said, "No, I want you to have it." I was so very moved by Bro. Jim's generosity. It was the kindest act that anyone had ever done for me. In a compartment in the guitar case was a sales slip for the guitar which was bought in 1941 for $150, a princely price back then. Sometime around 2012, on a visit to St. Louis, I sought out Bro. Jim to return the guitar to him, which he accepted, and to tell him how much his kindness and generosity had meant to me.
I just read the notification that John Ray (Jack) Sanders has recently died.
Last year, when I was giving thought to attending the annual class reunion of McBride graduates, I noticed that a "Jack Sanders" was also receiving an invitation to attend. I wasn't sure it was the Jack Sanders who was teaching at McBride High School during the year I was teaching French in 1967-68, so I wrote to the Jack Sanders whose email address was included in the invitation to attend the reunion. In response to my query, the Jack Sanders who answered my email was rude, claiming he didn't even know me. I just figured he was a different Jack Sanders, who had a common enough last name.
However, when I read the notice of Jack's passing, I realized that, yes, indeed, he was the Jack Sanders I taught with at McBride! Perhaps, he was already suffering from Alzheimer's at the time when I contacted him last year and evidently did not recognize me. I am so sorry I missed connecting with him during the past year.
Jack was three years older than me. I was starting my second year of teaching, having started the previous year at Assumption High School in East Louis, IL. Jack and I were brothers in the Marianist order. But Jack was also like an older sibling to me. We spent hours in conversation on all manner of subjects. I was his "movie buddy." Almost every weekend we would go see the latest blockbuster like "Easy Rider."
I will forever treasure his friendship.
Bonjour, Susan,
I taught French at McBride High School for one year (1967-68 academic year). Ordinarily I ignore announcements of new sign-up to the McBride website, but when I saw your name, I wondered, "Did McBride H.S. become co-ed between 1968 and 1975? If so, in which year? What percentage of the students were girls?" Just curious!
Then, I noticed your birthday which is one day before my wife's son's birthday of April 22, 1965. Such a coincidence!
Best wishes,
Bob