Retired Lovebirds Taught from the Heart
By Sandra Carr
For Anne and John Gardepe, love and teaching go hand in hand. The retired couple has been married for nearly 56 years and taught for OCPS for a combined 55 years.
Anne taught third- and fourth-grade students at McCoy Elementary and grades three and five at Clarcona Elementary (now Prairie Lake Elementary). She received the Disney’s Teacheriffic Award and Teacher of the Year Award at Clarcona Elementary and many other accolades during her more than 35-year career.
“I loved finding creative ways to involve students in learning, including historical simulations and plays, sponsoring a school election during an election year and conducting a medical conference that helped students learn more about the human body,” Anne Gardepe said.
During John’s OCPS career, he taught fourth- and fifth-grade students at Rolling Hills Elementary.
The couple met at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama in 1965, and will celebrate their 56-year wedding anniversary in March.
John’s time in the U.S. Navy, which ended as a lieutenant junior grade, brought them to Orlando in 1968. He worked initially as an insurance adjuster, business-machine salesman and social worker for the state of Florida before becoming an educator.
“Anne thought I would be good at teaching and persuaded me to become a substitute teacher because I was burned out on sales and social work,” John Gardepe said. “I later became a teacher and enjoyed teaching OCPS students and the fourth-grade field trips to St. Augustine.”
They had an opportunity to collaborate by having their fifth-grade students write to each other, and arranged for the pen pals to meet during a field trip at a park near Rolling Hills Elementary.
The Gardepes travel extensively to national parks and historical sites, and book cruises to Alaska, France, Hawaii and countries that border the Baltic Sea. They are also involved with the Orange County Retired Educators Association (OCREA).
Upcoming Virtual Retirement Services Department Workshops via WebEx and Zoom:
Feb. 22, 5-6:30 p.m.:
Estate Planning for Busy People!
http://bit.ly/401MWNI
March 8, 5-6:30 p.m.:
Real World Retirement Planning: Your Three-Legged Stool!
http://bit.ly/3YAKs7U
March 22, 5-6:30 p.m.:
Taking Control of Your Finances
http://bit.ly/3S9bpgM