To 'Mr. A,' with love To 'Mr. A,' with love (May 14, 2004)

Springer students send sick aide cards, pictures

By Julie O'Shea

"Mr. A is special because he's always happy. He never yells. He is friendly and fun to be around," read the note from Connor Rudolph, 8.

"He is kind and helps all students," read another from Shane Fay, 8.

"He is funny, kind and the best aide ever!" wrote Monica Pelayo, also 8.

The students in Marie Smith's third-grade class at Springer Elementary School spent Monday afternoon writing letters and pictures to Franz Anderson, a wildly popular classroom volunteer suffering from cancer.

The 72-year-old teacher's aide was diagnosed with the illness earlier this year but continued helping out at school until just a few weeks ago, when his doctor said it was time to slow down.

Perpetually upbeat, Anderson, who was just released from the hospital this week, would brush off his diagnosis, telling teachers, "It's just a little bit of cancer -- no problem," Smith recalled, adding that even as the chemotherapy begin tiring him out, Anderson continued to grade papers, poking his head in her classroom every once in a while to say "hello."

When he was told that his immune system was too weak to be around the children, the news "just about broke his heart," Smith said. The cancer has progressed rapidly, and his daughter, Suzanne Virga, said Anderson is "pretty sick," but remains optimistic.

Because Anderson, a cheerful white-haired man with a kind smile and a small, neatly combed mustache, is no longer a constant presence in their classroom, students wanted to make sure he doesn't forgot them. The Springer third-graders have busily been sending Anderson weekly care packages, stuffed with hand-made drawings and personal notes.

Virga said the mail has brightened Anderson's sprits.

After retiring from his banking job in 1997, Virga said her father started volunteering "in order not to drive my mother crazy" and completely fell in love with classroom life. He split his time between Springer and Covington Elementary where his grandchildren are students.

"He should have been a teacher, that was his calling," Virga said.

"It made him feel alive ," she added. "It definitely wasn't like a job. It really made him happy, and he really misses it to this day."

And the students really do miss him, too. Third grade teachers at Springer say their pupils are consistently asking about "Mr. A" or "Poppy," as his granddaughters call him.

"Franz just doesn't perform his duties, he gives his heart," said Kathy Panec, a third grade-teacher at Springer.

Panec, along with Smith and Rachel Zierdt, another third-grade teacher, sat down in the staff room last week to gush about a man they consider a "saint."

From yard duty to working one-on-one with troubled children, the teachers say Anderson, who likes to wear baseball caps and looks forward to dressing up on Halloween and pajama day, is indispensable and sorely missed by his pint-sized admirers.

"He's really nice," said Michaela Carson, 9. "He always smiles when we see him."

And he's funny, agreed the third graders. So funny.

Asked if there was a good joke Anderson liked to tell her and her classmates, 9-year-old Annie Ashmore shrugged her shoulders: "He just says things that are funny."

And he never gets mad - at anybody or anything, the students confided.

"We are making him a book to make him happy," said Nicholas Crispie, 9.

Added Michaela: "He is really special to us."

In a quiet voice, looking down at her letter to "Mr. A," Monica Pelayo whispered: "He gives us new pencils and stuff. ... I miss how he used to come to the classroom everyday."

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com.

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