I went to the service merely as a gesture of good faith. I had served as Vice President the year after she retired, and for multiple reason the club never got back to it's strong following. This is partly because the sci-fi club was really held together by Lady P. She made it such a welcoming atmosphere for everyone, and helped us think of fantastic activities. I also have to thank her for introducing me to a lot of new things that broadened my horizons.
However, I never really thought about that until today. I didn't realize that she was a big part in shaping who I was in high school, which evolved into the nerdy girl I am today. She was a confident nerdy woman, and I think that's part of the reason why our club was dominated by females. Sure we were all nerdy females, but a lot of the time it's hard for girls to get into their local sci-fi and fantasy clubs because they're so male dominated. A lot of girls find that intimidating. Lady P helped with that. But overall, she helped the sci-fi club be the little family it was when she was there. Her presence was profoundly missed and I wish there were more people like her just as teachers in general.
Today I went to the service not expecting to be moved but here I am tearing up like I did hours ago because I realize I wouldn't be the confident nerd woman I am without people like her in my life. She touched me and so many other students with that club. My friends and I met some from the inception of her running the club in 1991. They still remembered her and how she was the backbone of us nerd kids. And she helped us have a safe space for hobbies that even today will still get persecuted against by our peers in school for whatever reason.
So today, I said goodbye to Lady P, and hope she knew how thankful we all were for what she did for us all those years.
Great teachers leave a legacy in their students. For me it was music and science teachers - and an English teacher who ran the chess club where the nerds hung out. A few of those teachers passed before their time, others have since retired, but I think of them often.
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