AMHERST — More than 50 Wildwood Elementary School alumni packed into Rafters Sports Bar and Restaurant Saturday to honor beloved educator Brian McNamara, the man who wove music, social justice and love into his curriculum.
McNamara, 71, taught fifth- and sixth-grade students at Wildwood Elementary School for more than 30 years, from 1974 to 2006. Ten years after his retirement as a classroom teacher, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that caused him to shed 50 pounds and weakened him with side effects of treatment, including talking in a hushed voice and weeping eyes.
With time potentially running out, family, friends and former students gathered to remember “Mr. Mac,” as they call him. Some came from as far away as California, Maryland and Washington, D.C., and all know McNamara as the teacher who made them feel special.
As former students filed into Rafters by the dozens, McNamara greeted them with hugs. He said it was unbelievable to see the students, some he had not seen in 30 years.
“We shared an incredible amount of love together. We shared laughs, a little bit of tears when John Lennon died,” McNamara told the crowd of former students. “My passion for teaching and your inquisitiveness were a perfect match.”
Didi Olevsky, 45, a former student, said she remembered vividly the day John Lennon was shot and “Mr. Mac” cried.
“They don’t make teachers like Mac anymore. He’s not just a special teacher, he’s a special human,” Olevsky said. “You didn’t see many men cry in the ’70s. He was human and inclusive. We’re all here because he made that big of an impact.”
Olevsky had McNamara as a teacher in 1980 and 1981. She drove from New York City to attend the party.
Judy McNamara, Brian McNamara’s wife, wiped away tears as she watched her husband embrace former students. He remembered nearly all of their names.
“It’s a wonderful, wonderful day,” Judy McNamara said. “This is the embodiment of everything Brian loved and brought to his teaching.”
McNamara and his wife often invited students to their home for dinner, sharing conversation and building lifelong friendships. Judy McNamara said she was astounded but not surprised by the large crowd at Rafters.
“Many people have been writing to him, sending cards and posting messages on Facebook,” she said. “This has blossomed into an amazing tribute.”
Eleanor Lacey, 49, flew from California to honor the former teacher. When she arrived, she found her class photo from 1978, and wondered why she was not in it.
McNamara looked at the photo, and asked her if she remembered the beginning of her fifth-grade year. Lacey had been sick with pneumonia those first few weeks. She missed the class picture, and McNamara said he brought her homework to her every day for weeks.
“He made every student feel like the most important, special student,” Lacey said. “And at that moment, you were. He changed lives.”
Ali Feudo, 26, flew from Virginia to see McNamara. She was in his sixth-grade class during the 9/11 attacks, and said the way he handled the situation and explained it to his students has stuck with her.
“He’s the kind of teacher that stays with you,” Feudo said. “He taught us to be tolerant and think about everybody.”
When Feudo learned that her former teacher had cancer, she was brought to tears.
“It was heartbreaking. It’s never easy, but for this to happen to somebody that has been through so much already, it’s hard,” Feudo said.
When Feudo was in McNamara’s class, she sang “How Much is That Doggy in the Window” during a unit on 1950s music. McNamara remembered Saturday, asking if she would sing about puppies at the party.
“He made everybody feel special, and he still does. He’s a great guy,” Feudo said.