If you’d like to share a story or a memory, we’d love to hear from you! (Email addresses will not be published to this page, but your name will.)
10 entries.
I am a classmate from St. Mary’s I was always impressed with John’s creativity.....it is heartwarming to read how he used it as a teacher and how healing and inspiring he was to his students. Sending love to his sister Gail. Patricia van hollenbeck Dean
My 3 children had the privilege of having Mr. Addis as a Jr. High teacher at St Paul. They said he was the best teacher they ever had.
May he Rest In Peace
May he Rest In Peace
Diyke , you’ll always be our best
man. Pals......Gus & Kathy
man. Pals......Gus & Kathy
Carrie and John, I used to tell your Dad he was a “gentleman, a scholar, and a great teacher”. Those who knew him will certainly agree. I was proud to have him on our St. Paul staff. You will be in my prayers. Mrs. Burns. ( He would never agree to call me Beth.)
Met John in 1960. Few times since then. He made an impression.
My heart goes out to John's family. Prayers to all.
Kay
Kay
I am so sad to hear of the passing of Mr. Addis. He was my favorite teacher when I was at St. Pauls in the last 90s. I was a 7th grade teacher for several years and thought of Mr. Addis and his gift often -trying to replicate a craft gives an even deeper appreciation of it. Its one thing to be a “good teacher,” but Mr. Addis was great. He was truly magical in front of a class. I can picture him reading out loud to us, using his pointer to help us make connections between repeating metaphors in a book. Using music and storytelling and art to draw us in. The proudest day of my academic career was when Mr. Addis read out of my essays out loud to our class. I still remember the specific mnemonics and memory tools he used to teach us grammar and literary concepts, more vividly than I do any other content from my elementary/secondary education. 7th grade was my favorite year of school, which is the opposite of most people I know. A big part of that was how Mr. Addis created a space we felt seen, appreciated, smart, challenged, and respected. I know he is deeply missed by his family and friends and that he will continue to be remembered with love and appreciation by his former students. I am so very sorry.
I am so sad to hear about Mr. Addis's passing. The world is the poorer for it, but I feel very lucky to have been a student of his as a seventh grader at St. Paul. I think of his class, and him, often.
I am an essayist and short story writer now in large part because of Mr. Addis's talents as a teacher and his deep regard for his students. He was the first person in my life who really seemed to read what I had written, who cared why this word was chosen instead of that, who made the artistry of writing feel like something important and beautiful and real, and not just the workings of my overactive preteen mind. In Mr. Addis's classroom, novels were *real*: characters had voices, chapter breaks were followed by dramatic pauses, and thunderstorms sounded like the other end of his pointer banging on the file cabinet. Every time I see a heron, I remember Mr. Addis's explanation of the imagery of the heron and the snake in "Of Mice and Men"--its allusion to the Garden of Eden, its foreshadowing of Lenny's death--and just being completely gobsmacked that what I thought was a boring nature description slowing down the plot was in fact this ornate masterpiece of writing. I had always loved to read, but in seventh grade Mr. Addis cracked open the world of literature to me, a world I still don't like to leave.
Thanks to email and Mr. Addis's improbable eventual adoption of it (I know all class materials were typewritten as of the late 90s; I assume that continued for longer), I was able to bring up some of our correspondence. Over the years, I would send him pieces that I had gotten published--my writing since I was his student all felt like it flowed directly from his influence, so it seemed natural that he should see it. I will share one of his responses, to a short story of mine, "The Island," that was published in an online-only literary magazine:
"I tried reading it on the computer screen but didn't have any luck. I broke down and bought a new printer just for 'The Island'. I have to have the written word on paper in front of my face to decipher properly. Old dog, you know."
God bless, Mr. Addis.
I am an essayist and short story writer now in large part because of Mr. Addis's talents as a teacher and his deep regard for his students. He was the first person in my life who really seemed to read what I had written, who cared why this word was chosen instead of that, who made the artistry of writing feel like something important and beautiful and real, and not just the workings of my overactive preteen mind. In Mr. Addis's classroom, novels were *real*: characters had voices, chapter breaks were followed by dramatic pauses, and thunderstorms sounded like the other end of his pointer banging on the file cabinet. Every time I see a heron, I remember Mr. Addis's explanation of the imagery of the heron and the snake in "Of Mice and Men"--its allusion to the Garden of Eden, its foreshadowing of Lenny's death--and just being completely gobsmacked that what I thought was a boring nature description slowing down the plot was in fact this ornate masterpiece of writing. I had always loved to read, but in seventh grade Mr. Addis cracked open the world of literature to me, a world I still don't like to leave.
Thanks to email and Mr. Addis's improbable eventual adoption of it (I know all class materials were typewritten as of the late 90s; I assume that continued for longer), I was able to bring up some of our correspondence. Over the years, I would send him pieces that I had gotten published--my writing since I was his student all felt like it flowed directly from his influence, so it seemed natural that he should see it. I will share one of his responses, to a short story of mine, "The Island," that was published in an online-only literary magazine:
"I tried reading it on the computer screen but didn't have any luck. I broke down and bought a new printer just for 'The Island'. I have to have the written word on paper in front of my face to decipher properly. Old dog, you know."
God bless, Mr. Addis.
I send my sincere condolences and heart felt prayers to Johns family.. I have fond memories of him. God Bless!
I was very saddened to hear of your passing Mr. Addis. I will remember you as one of the best teachers who started into a new school and classroom! You kept things strict but yet made learning fun! Thank you for our Degrassi Jr. High days on VHS! You have always remained a very special teacher in my heart and mind. My sincerest condolences to your family over your loss. Thank you for the memories I’ve kept over the last 32 years! RIP Mr. Addis and God Bless you and your family.