Groton Educators Hall of Fame Inducts Eight Teachers

There are more than 100 members of the Groton Educator Hall of Fame, honored over the years for their work educating Groton children. Eight more teachers were inducted Sunday, including one posthumously, at the 2012 Hall of Fame ceremony and luncheon held at the Mystic Hilton.

They are “champions, advocates and friends” committed to “excellence” in teaching, according to Groton Education Association President Beth Horler. Also on hand were Superintendent Paul Kadri, Assistant Superintendent Mary Anne Butler, Board of Education members Beverly Washington and Rita Volkmann and Groton City Mayor -- and recently retired longtime educator -- Marian Galbraith.

In addition to inducting teachers, the ceremony Sunday also was devoted to introducing the Inaugural Friend of Groton Educators Award and honoring its first awardee, the late Richard “Dick” Lovett, former  English teacher and field rep for the Connecticut Education Association; Groton was one of the districts he served.  He passed away in November of 2010. Kadri said in the short time he knew Lovett he was “strongly moved by (Lovett)” And Horler described Lovett as “the most patient man I ever met.”

Lovett was honored for his “dedication to the protection and promotion of the teaching profession.”

But it was the awards for “exceptional commitment, dedication and service to Groton Public Schools,” that were the focus of the event.

Following a proclamation read by Galbraith, and a luncheon and conversation, the inductees were honored:

Bernard “Bing” Bartick, Dr. Gerald Browning, Michael Ellis, Cindy Lathrop, Dr. James Mitchell, Joseph Pacheco and Nancy Spalluto; J. Terry Purcell was honored and inducted posthumously.

Horler praised the inductees for their “hundreds of years of (combined) experience and excellence.”