Retired Faculty – Where are They Now?

By Debby Jennings

Rex Bozarth, MS/US Orchestra, 2006-21

Since his retirement in 2021, Rex has been concentrating on musical performance and composing, and he is the house bassist at Casa Mañana. This year, he was in the stage band for the new Dolly Parton musical, Here You Are Again, and next year will play in Miss Saigon and Beautiful. Rex has an in-home studio for practice, composing and recording. In February 2023, he will be back at FWCD, in the pit, playing for The Lightning Thief, and he hopes to see many of his former students in action. On Sundays, Rex plays for Unity of Dallas Church and, with his wife, Aimee, continues to perform for the TCU Department of Theatre.

Rex Bozarth, MS/US Orchestra, 2006-21

In other areas of life, Rex enjoys visiting his grandsons in Austin, working on the yard and house, and dreaming up new recipes in the kitchen. He has a rescue chihuahua, Louie, and regularly walks him in his Ryan Place neighborhood.

Rex’s FWCD memories are many. “Highlights include our orchestra performance of Civil War-era music in Vicksburg, Mississippi; the all-Beethoven concert celebrating the 250th anniversary of his birth; and the emotional responses we received from visiting Japanese students and their sponsors upon hearing our musical program of their native folk songs and national anthem,” he shared. Rex also says he felt well supported by parents and the administration and loved the freedom to grow a vibrant orchestra program in both the Middle and Upper Schools.

When asked if he had any words of wisdom for former students, he advised, “Follow your dreams and strive to make the world around you a better place.”

Barbara Jiongo Director of Admission, 1991-2014

Barbara is active in her retirement. She works out regularly and serves three different organizations: The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever, LINK-Ed (formerly The Learning Center of North Texas), and The Net. Barbara credits her daughter, Maddie Jiongo Abbott ’14, for getting her involved at The Net as an advocate for women who have been trafficked.

Barbara Jiongo Director of Admission, 1991-2014

Barbara and her husband, Mike, travel extensively, having visited Vail, Carmel (Vermont), Boston and Russia and taken cruises to Quebec, France and the Baltic. Her travel highlight is taking 13 family members on an Alaskan cruise. Barbara’s family has a ranch in south Texas, and she enjoys spending weeks there and in her Mira Vista home.

Originally hired in 1986 as a Private Educational Diagnostician for standardized kindergarten testing, Barbara said, “I enjoyed being in the ‘Dinosaur Room’ as the ‘Dinosaur Lady’ with 4- and 5-year-olds who make you laugh and smile.” She is also proud of building the financial aid program to diversify and support families who want to attend FWCD. When Barbara retired, she and Mike established the Dorothy and A.B. Waldron Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Barbara enjoys spending as much time as possible with her kids and grandchildren. Dr. Meredith Grant Qualls ’03 is a Pharmacist in Houston; Maddie is working on a master’s degree in Christian counseling and lives in Birmingham; and John Jiongo ’12 works for Lockheed Martin. He and his wife are expecting a son in May. “We can’t wait to have a grandchild in Fort Worth,” Barbara said.