3 minute read
Retired Faculty –Where are They Now?
By Debby Jennings
Beverly Johnson, US Math 1994-2004
Dan Johnson, US Chemistry and Physics 1999-2004
Beverly was FWCD’s first AP Statistics teacher, and she remembers requiring her students to construct something that launched from the Upper School balcony into the Commons and timing the descent – all in the name of gathering data. Dan, or “Dr. J” as he was known, was a sub for several years before joining the science faculty full-time.
When Beverly retired, the Johnsons moved to a gated mountain community near Old Fort, North Carolina, where they built a home. They both served on various property owner committees, and Beverly worked for a time preparing tax returns and as a clerk in the gift shop at The Biltmore.
In 2012, the Johnsons re-retired to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Ely, Minnesota, 30 miles south of the Canadian border. They knew the area from a honeymoon canoe trip in 1960. Their home is a cozy cabin on two acres of lakefront property, where Dan forests, fishes, and takes trips into the Boundary Waters.
Beverly and Dan are active in their United Methodist Church. They sing in the choir, and Beverly serves as the “bulletin lady,” preparing the program for the church. “We love fourseasons living, including winter wonderlands with long nights, feet of snow, a fire in the wood stove and good books,” Dan said.
Tricia Franks, MS/US Theatre and Art 1991-2021
Tricia was hired in 1991 to design for the eighth grade play, Our Town, and has been involved with FWCD’s theatre and arts programs for 31 years. She is still a frequent presence on campus, designing for several musicals and fall plays and substitute teaching in the fine arts from junior kindergarten through Upper School.
Since “retiring,” Tricia and her husband, Ronnie, have traveled to Belize, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Mexico. They recently made a big moved to Mexico. They have found a beautiful village, Ajijic, about 30 miles outside Guadalajara. They have settled on a house near the foothills of the Sierra Madres on the largest inland lake, Chapala. Ajijic is full of expatriates and artists, and Tricia and Ronnie think they will fit right in. They leave soon on a trial move and will decide by next Christmas whether or not this will be their permanent home. Their children and grandchildren are still in Fort Worth, so they are keeping their home here in case they decide they miss family too much and want to move back.
Tricia’s words of wisdom to her former students are to “keep up with what is going on in the world. Vote, it does matter.” Tricia is active on Facebook and loves to hear from former students and colleagues.
