Hundreds Honor Retiring Teacher of Callahan School

After 37 years of shaping young minds in Norwood’s classrooms, beloved second‑grade teacher Hettie McIntyre was celebrated in grand fashion on the evening of April 11, 1957. Several hundred former students, colleagues, and members of the Callahan School PTA gathered for a heartfelt “This Is Your Life” tribute inside the very school where she had spent decades teaching.

The event overflowed with affection and memories. Miss McIntyre was presented with a watch and a purse in recognition of her long service, while Robert Fox, a fellow Callahan School teacher, served as master of ceremonies.

The guest list itself told the story of a lifetime in education:

• John Donovan, a member of the first class she ever taught in Norwood
• William Shine, custodian at her first Norwood school
• Mrs. Margie Edgerly, her sister, who traveled from Hallowell, Maine
• Edna Frost, retired Callahan principal
• Jessie Webster, another longtime Norwood educator with 37 years of service
• Virginia Bergeron, whose father once taught Miss McIntyre to cut hair — a skill she used to help her students during the Depression
• Louis Nugent, the current principal
• Dennis Cochrane, age 7, representing her final class

The evening was a testament not only to Miss McIntyre’s dedication but to the deep, multigenerational bonds that form when a teacher spends nearly four decades guiding Norwood’s children. Her retirement marked the end of an era — and the beginning of a well‑earned new chapter.

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