One family’s tribute to a fine gentleman: Mr. Wirick

By Rhonda Dedyne
Special Writer

There’s a choir singing "My Wild Irish Rose" today with a new, exuberant director – Dwane Wirick. The former teacher, coach, athletic director and assistant principal at St. Johns Public Schools passed away Feb. 14, just two weeks short of his 93^rd birthday.

Our family, like so many others in the St. Johns community, has a connection to Mr. Wirick that is rooted in his many years of service within the school system. He was a familiar figure in the hallways of Rodney B. Wilson High School during the time I was a student there, helping to close out an era of education for that building with the opening of the "new" St. Johns High School in the fall of 1969.

My brother and sister, Sherry (Kloeckner) Stearns and Rollie Kloeckner, have more vivid memories of the high-spirited gentleman than I do, however. They graduated in 1959 and 1960, during the time period when Coach Wirick had just guided the 1954 basketball team to the state semifinals. There’s no questioning the fact that Mr. Wirick loved athletics; he continued to be a vocal supporter of Redwing teams throughout his life.

He also loved music – something our family just became aware of within the past year. We’ve had the good fortune of enjoying Mr. Wirick’s booming voice during impromptu music sessions at Hazel Findlay Country Manor where he was a "neighbor" of sorts, rooming just down the hallway from my mother.

If a CD was playing and Mr. Wirick was nearby, he’d be singing along – always robustly and with a perfect pitch.

Unlike my mom who is struggling with Alzheimer’s, Mr. Wirick was articulate, engaging and always eager to talk. Since Saturday is one of the days that I routinely visit my mom, updates on whatever U-M game was in progress became a regular part of our conversation.

"They’re looking pretty good today," he would say, pausing to stop in the doorway of my mom’s room while I watched the game. Then – with the big smile that always seemed to light up his face – he’d continue on down the hallway, chatting with whomever else happened to cross his path.

Among our family, my sister in particular will miss Mr. Wirick’s good nature and friendly smile. Her weekly visits with my mom on Thursdays always included time spent with her former assistant principal. She kept him supplied with cookies, and made sure that the Mitch Miller CD was playing in the dining room during dinnertime.

"If I forgot, he reminded me," she says, adding that songs by Mr. Wirick were not limited to that one time of day. "He would stop by mom’s room so we could put in a CD – "You Are My Sunshine" was a favorite. He’d take mom’s hands and swing them back and forth in time to the music while they sang. It was so good of him to try and help her."

Mr. Wirick even got my mom to sing along with him to that tune during the birthday party we had for her at the Manor last year. He also launched into a rousing rendition of "My Wild Irish Rose," and helped lead our whole family in a ‘Happy Birthday’ chorus – while thoroughly enjoying the cake and homemade ice cream we served up.

His genuine interest in people and caring nature made the day-long Thursday visits at the Manor go by more quickly for my sister.

"He was so good to talk with, and always told me to drive safely when I left to go home to Grand Rapids – he was just such a nice man. I’ll really miss him."