Susie Mullins
On the very first day in his math classroom, this cheeky seventh-grader had the temerity to ask Mr. Miller what his first name was. The entire room went instantly silent except for the quiet gasps from a couple of my shocked classmates, and we had no idea how this formidable-looking giant of a man would respond. At once he straightened himself to his full height, lowered his famous eyebrows in dire seriousness, summoned up his full, resonant baritone, and looking straight into my now-terrified eyes, boomed, "WALDO." At that, we all immediately knew two things: this was a teacher whose serious demeanor (even when feigned) would undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with, and this class was going to be fun. We were right on both counts. I adored him and learned a great deal from him about life besides arithmetic. We were lifelong friends, and he was always Waldo to me, even to his face. We occasionally had lunch together over the years, and on one very special occasion he came to dinner at our house. My children could see immediately why I loved his man, and he kept us entertained for that entire delightful evening. All of us have undoubtedly have been blessed with wonderful, memorable teachers, but Mr. Miller was one who was unforgettable and exemplary in so many ways. I know that his family will always cherish the memory of the rare and precious gem that he was. God willing, I very much look forward to being reunited someday with my Waldo