Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/97177
Emily Warren Upper School Math Teacher This page: A yearbook candid captures Dr. Dolezal enjoying a bike ride. Opposite page: Dr. D���s famous notes on his copy of T.S. Elliot���s poem TheWasteland. When I first came to Latin 12 years ago as a new teacher, Dr. Dolezal���s words at the opening meeting moved me intensely. I remember being so aware of the soft chair beneath me, the slightly stuffy air in the theater, the captivated attention that filled the space. And of course, his beautiful words, his banter with Linda Hennelly, his cadence and his insight. I felt so alive. I walked away from that meeting and felt grateful to be at a place that encouraged someone like him to guide us in our practice. Each year, I looked forward to the opening meetings to experience the few minutes when Dr. Dolezal was on stage. In 2006, his talk was officially ��� and fittingly ��� named Inspiramus. The speech that year particularly affected me. Dr. Dolezal talked about his favorite teachers, Fritz Reiner and Robert Shaw, as well as those around him who were ���masters of our shared vocation.��� He said, ���We ought always to be on the lookout for worthy inspiration, whether from a senior partner, a fledgling teacher, or from a child.��� I was moved to find that inspiration in more of my interactions, and as a fledgling teacher myself, I took pride in the fact that I might be offering inspiration to others. After that speech, I asked Dr. Dolezal for a copy of it, and a few days later he delivered the speech to me. Over the next few weeks, Dr. Dolezal and I developed a different kind of connection. We only occasionally saw each ���Dr. Dolezal showed me compassion during the darkest years of my life. He believed in me when I didn���t believe in myself; helped me when I couldn���t help myself. He was a beautiful, beautiful soul with a boundless heart. I will remember his kindness always.��� ��� Katherine Davis Gibbons, Class of 1988 32 L AT I N M AGAZINE ���Dr. Dolezal opened the world of literature to me as a student, was my inspiration during my 30-year career of teaching high school English and, above all, has always been my ideal of a compassionate human being. I always think fondly of Latin School primarily because, for me, he was its heart and soul.��� ��� Thomas Cangelosi, Class of 1971 other, but when we did, it felt like time slowed down. I would ask him how he was doing, and he would always smile and say, ���How could I not be wonderful? It is a beautiful day!��� Then he would ask about me, and I would share some small joy or challenge. Our conversations were never more than 10 or 15 minutes, but it felt longer because of how REAL it was, and our conversations always breathed life into my day. I ended up carrying the speech around in my backpack ��� I always have it with me and reread it when I need to re-center. It is coffeestained and wrinkled, and just perfect. Dr. Dolezal has so shaped this place, from the individuals, to the curriculum, to the soul. And while I was only lucky enough to see the last 11 years of Dr. Dolezal���s tenture here, I know that his influence reaches far beyond that short time. For me, it has extended even to today. I had always felt seen by Dr. Dolezal, and that fact led me to be invited to speak at this ceremony, which has made me feel even more known and valued here at Latin. Another gift to me, traced back to him. I am forever changed because of Dick Dolezal. I see more beauty during my day, by slowing the pace, and I try to notice and value the strengths that we each bring to this place. If I can be one-tenth the person that Dr. Dolezal was, I will be proud.