Central High School maintenance staffers like James Criddle might as well as have been invisible to most of us students. When I went back for a walk through our high school in 2009, I was impressed at how well maintained it was. Every wall and floor shined just like when we were there 45 years ago.
The new generation of maintenance workers must be carrying on the tradition of the ones who were there in 1965: Jack Snider, Harold Brown, Leonard Reed, Richard Ware, Leonard Mayberry, James Criddle and Mrs. James Criddle.
[Editor’s note: Walter Lamkin notes in a comment below that the name of one of the maintenance workers was misspelled: it should be Leonard Reid, not Reed. I copied the names from the 1965 Girardot and checked them against the 1964 Girardot. There was no listing for a Leonard Reed in the 1969 City Directory, but there was a Leonard REID. Mr. Reid lived on Thilenius St., along with Elodie and Larry (a student). Based on that, I’m going to vote with Mr. Lamkin and complain to Girardot Editor-in-Chief Nancy Jenkins.]
The maintenance workers are almost always unsung despite the valuable work they perform. Of all of you out there, how many remember Mr. Mack at Alma Schrader School? According to my memory he was a very tall man with big hands, and he apparently loved kids because he was always very kind and smiling.
As soon as I began working in school settings, I had an immediate appreciate of all the work that maintenance staff do. I was clueless about it in high school, as I was about so many things.
It took 2 days as a student janitor in college to realize how hard maintenance is.
The surname of one of the staff identified was misspelled. His name was Leonard Reid and he was the father of a classmate and good friend. Mr. Reid was a quiet guy and I often wondered how it was for him to work in the same place where he saw his kids every day. Life is full of interesting imponderables.
Walter,
Thanks for the correction. I’ve added an update to the story. I got the original Reed spelling from the 1965 Girardot and checked it against the 1963 and 1964 books.
If the yearbooks are wrong, at least they’re consistent.
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Criddle was my great aunt and uncle. Very good people. They sure could tell some stories that happen there at CHS. They worked at CHS for many years, but have past on.
I too was recently in the OLD CHS (last week) and it is as clean as ever…I noted the schools in Florida are not a clean as the my old school and wondered if it was my imagination…but after a visit the old CHS…the Old CHS is cleaner and a lot older than my schools down here.
Once again the past is cleaner than the present… Mr. Criddle did great job and new guys are carrying on a “clean” tradition.
Seeing this picture absolutely made my day, I am the granddaughter of James & Irene Criddle, growing up my grand parents told me many stories of working at CHS & how much they enjoyed working around the kids. Would love to get a copy of this picture.
I sent a copy to your personal email. I love it when a family member spots someone on the blog.