Kris Parrish Dedication

On December 14, 2009 beloved Marcellus Central School District school nurse Kris Parrish passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. At the time Parrish was serving as the school nurse at K. C. Heffernan Elementary School. On December 14, 2010 the K. C. Heffernan (KCH) Elementary School educational community joined together with an all school assembly in celebration of, and dedication to, the inspirational spirit that was Kris Parrish. Gary Bissaillon, KCH principal, welcomed students and staff to the special dedication and he was followed by Lisa MacLachlan, 2nd grade teacher, who introduced Kris’ son Mark Gallagher. Kris’ daughters Nicole and Jenny were unable to attend the ceremony as they were out of town but Mark Gallagher shared the heartfelt appreciation of the entire Parrish family as he stated, “My family and I could not have made it through the years leading up to my mother’s passing without the support of the school….your cards, your notes and most of all the day of caroling in our front yard meant so much to our mother and to all of us.” Parrish encouraged the student audience to be like his mother, and “give the gift of a smile, particularly to those in need.” Fran Hagan, KCH art teacher, then came to the microphone and eloquently expressed the central theme and meaning of the dedication, “We thought about what we could do to honor Mrs. Parrish at this dedication. Mrs. Parrish was beautiful and she was an artist, so we thought that we would make something beautiful and artistic in her memory.” Hagan then called Mark Gallagher forward to help unveil a stained glass memorial that she had created in reflection of Kris’ passion for life. Hagan explained that the stained glass creation reflected the things that were important to Kris in her life: The sanctuary of Kris’ camp on Lake Ontario; Irises, Kris’ favorite flower; and Kris’ passion for painting. Of special importance were the “dedication stones” that framed the stained glass scene. Hagan shared that the stones were contributed in memory of Kris, by Kris’ colleagues and friends in the KCH community. Among those stones was a heart shaped stone found along the shores of Lake Ontario by Kris’ friend Mary Tone. The theme of the Kris Parrish dedication was that “each of us has a talent inside of us” and more than 30 members of the KCH staff came forward to share their special “talent or passion” with the assembled students. Among the talents and passions shared by KCH staff members were:
· Jodi Wiley/ Kindergarten – baking
· Jen DeCook/2nd grade – quilting
· Maureen Henesey/Singing and playing guitar in a rock band
· Teresa McNaney/special education – skiing “real fast”
· Nancy Hutchings/speech therapist – knitting
· Katie Rozak/physical education – lacrosse
· Denise Moniz/Kindergarten – tap dancing
· Maria Healy/3rd grade – snowshoeing
· Susanna Morrissey/2nd grade - ballet dancing
· Gary Bissaillon/principal – ping pong
· Jo Marie Mariani/special education – softball
· Patricia O’Neil/teacher assistant – interior decorating
· Eileen Driscoll/3rd grade – reading
· Suzanne McClurg/1st grade – sewing
· Cindy Bird/curriculum coordinator – kayaking
· Mary Ellen Koloski/Pre-1st – gardening
· Lisa MacLachlan/2nd grade – softball, coaching and playing
· Martha Savage/KCH Nurse – making gingerbread houses
These are just a few examples of the impressive array of talents and interests shared by staff in the KCH educational community. Mark Gallagher was the last to share as he read the dedication on the back of the first painting his mother had ever created, “Inspired by my children; my artists Mark, Jenny, and Nicole.” Fran Hagan brought the Kris Parrish dedication to a close as she urged the audience to follow Kris’ three beliefs: always work hard; laugh and smile; and make time for the people you love. The Kris Parrish stained glass dedication will hang in the KCH Nurse’s office for all to see. Students at KCH will also have the opportunity to share their own individual talents in the coming months. Talent/interests posters will be hung throughout the KCH hallways and students will be able to sign their name to the posters that describe their respective talents. In a December 2009 Syracuse Post Standard article the impact of Kris Parrish’s life was described as follows: “Until the very end Kris inspired many with her positive attitude and gracious disposition.” The beautiful stained glass dedication created by artist Fran Hagan and the heartfelt dedication ceremony held on December 14th are just the first steps as the KCH educational community moves toward emulating Kris’s inspiration and talent.