MOST OF US HAVE A MEMORY OF
A FAVORITE TEACHER, USUALLY
SOMEONE THAT WENT ABOVE AND
BEYOND WITH THE STUDENTS.
LOOKING BACK I APPRECIATE
THE FACT THAT SHE TOOK THE TIME
TO GET TO KNOW US AND ENGAGE IN
OUR EDUCATION. JUDY ANN
GENTZ WAS THE SECOND AND THIRD
GRADE TEACHER FOR MORE THAN 20
YEARS, AND HER FORMER STUDENTS
SAY THAT NOT ONLY DID SHE TEACH
THEM TO READ WRITE AND DO MATH,
SHE INSTILLED A LOVE FOR
LEARNING AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO
BE READERS.
ANGELA DAVIS SHARES HER LIFE
STORY.
Reporter: CLASS PHOTOS FROM
THE 1990S CAPTURING CUTE
SMILES, BUT DO NOT FULLY REVEAL
THE LOVE THEY HAD FOR THIS
TEACHER.
HERE'S A PICTURE OF ME WITH
MRS. GENTZ AT ONE OF MY HOCKEY
GAMES. Reporter: MICHAEL IS
AN ATTORNEY AND SHE WAS HIS
SECOND GRADE TEACHER, THE
PERSON HE LEANED ON FOR COMFORT
OR
MY DAD HAD PASSED AWAY THE
YEAR BEFORE I WENT INTO THE
SECOND AND THIRD GRADE, AND SHE
WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND I THINK
SHE TOOK AN INTEREST IN ME FOR
THAT REASON, AND MADE AN EFFORT
TO BE A PART OF MY LIFE OUTSIDE
OF SCHOOL, AND TO MENTOR ME
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.
Reporter: SHE MADE A PLEDGE TO
VISIT ALL THE STUDENTS OUTSIDE
OF SCHOOL AT LEAST ONCE, AND
ANDREW PATTERSON IS IN HIS
SECOND YEAR AT DENTAL SCHOOL,
AND HAS FOND MEMORIES OF SECOND
GRADE. Reporter: WHAT WAS SHE
LIKE?
EXUBERANT.
BIG-TIME SMILED, THE TIME
PERSONALITY.
SHE SAW US AS INDIVIDUALS.
I LOVE HER FOR THAT.
WHEN A TEACHER'S APPLIES A FUN
AND JOY TO THE CONCEPT, IT
MAKES LEARNING SO EASY, AND IT
MAKES YOU WAKE UP TO WANT TO GO
TO SCHOOL. Reporter: MRS.
GENTZ MARY FOR 46 YEARS, THE
MOTHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS AND OF
PROUD -- A PROUD GRANDMOTHER.
BUT ONE THING SHE DID NOT SHARE
WITH THE STUDENTS, SHE DID NOT
TELL THEM ABOUT HER LIFELONG
HEALTH PROBLEMS, TREATMENT FOR
CHILDHOOD ILLNESS LEFT HER WITH
FAILING KIDNEYS AND BACK PAIN,
AND ONE YEAR IN THE EARLY 90s,
SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH REST
CANCER.
LOOKING BACK, SHE WAS A
SAINT. Reporter: WCCO 4 NEWS
. JUDY ANN GENTZ WITH 67
YEARS OLD WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY
TWO WEEKS AGO, AND SHE RETIRED
IN 2011, AND DONATIONS CAN BE
MADE OF THE EDUCATION
