‘He changed lives’: Greenfield special education teacher retires after 33 years

GREENFIELD — It can be hard to leave a job after 33 years, but saying goodbye can be easier when you’re whisked away by a parade of fire trucks.

Stuart Elliott, a special education teacher and track coach at Greenfield High School, as well as a member of the Gill Fire Department, celebrated his last day of teaching at the high school on Wednesday.

“It’s been rewarding,” Elliott, 63, said about his career. “I had a great time.”

Elliott said he had no idea the Gill and Greenfield fire departments and the school planned to celebrate him with a parade send-off, but he knew “something was up” when a member of the Gill Fire Department showed up at his house and offered to drive him to work.

“I had no idea they were going to do that,” Elliott said. “I was sitting in a classroom, working with some students who needed to finish some schoolwork, and someone came in and said I needed to go outside.”

Outside the school’s front doors, Elliott was joined by Gill and Greenfield firefighters, fellow teachers and former students, who said Elliott will be missed by the entire school.

“It’s a big loss for the community, but we’re happy for him,” Greenfield High School science teacher Judy Bennett said. “He changed lives.”

Colleagues called Elliott humble and multi-talented, and said he had a way of connecting with every student, even those he did not teach.

“I think he was magical,” Librarian Jessica Pollock said. “He didn’t teach all of the students, but all of the students knew him.

“He works with some of the most vulnerable students and believes in every single student in this building,” Pollock added. “He always has. He really does work magic.”

Fellow special education teacher Caitlyn O’Leary said Elliott was always full of stories from his years spent teaching and coaching, and working with his family’s print businesses or with the Gill Fire Department.

Colleagues said not every staff member gets a big parade send-off, but after a lengthy career that touched the lives of so many students, Elliott deserved to be celebrated.

Mason Youmell recently graduated from Greenfield High School, where Elliott was his coach in pole vault. He said that while Elliott may seem “like a grumpy old guy,” he’s actually funny, supportive and helps students grow as athletes.

“He’s just a great old guy,” Youmell said. “He’s really, really fun; it actually caught me off guard because he seems grumpy at times, but he’s very nice.”

Elliott said it was nice to see former students and several firefighters that he had trained during his 25 years as deputy chief in Gill. He still works as the department’s clerk, but said he’s had to reduce his duties as he’s gotten older.

The decision to retire comes as Elliott said he has been facing some health issues and needs to dedicate more time to his health. He plans to spend more time at the YMCA and focus on other pursuits, such as his Christmas card business. Elliott has an old printing press and plans to spend a good chunk of the summer printing Christmas cards.

He said he greatly enjoyed his time at Greenfield High School and working with the special education students, and the track and field, cross-country and indoor track teams. Elliott added that while his teams have won championships and his athletes have broken records, he considers starting the indoor track team in 2010 as one of the highlights of his career.

“Those were some of the most meaningful moments, just getting that team started,” Elliott said. “To get something like that started is a real accomplishment.”

Elliott said he plans to return to Greenfield High School next year to continue coaching the school’s athletes, and while he will miss teaching, he hopes that being retired and having more time to dedicate to his athletes will make him a better coach.

“It’s been a fun career,” Elliott said. “I’m gonna miss it.”