Greg Patrick, Class of 1970, is more than just a pretty face plunking a guitar and singing as the leader of the Jenna Won’t Sing Band, Monongah’s No. 1 band that plays throughout Marion County and at the Monongahfest every year.

He is an euphoric social studies teacher at Fairmont Catholic School, where he began four days before his official retirement after 37 years at Miller Junior High and West Fairmont Middle School.

Just listen to Greg’s former students extol about him.

Aaron Royce Cale writes:

“Hey Mr. Patrick, the other night I was with friends and family and the subject of the teachers that most impacted us came up & I'm sure you’re so used to hearing this kind of thing, but I told them how amazing it was to be your student. I loved history so much and your method of teaching woke that up in me and I carry it with me to this day . And in the hallways we would always talk about -R.E.M and Dylan. I was so insecure about myself even if I didn't act like it. And you had this beautiful gift of making a 13-year-old kid who wanted to talk to you about JFK and guitar feel like he had a friend.”

Cindy Prudnick chimed in:

“Having Greg for a teacher at Miller Jr. High is among all of my daughter’s favorite memories of their school years.”

Marcy Pulice Leon added:

“He is a wonderful teacher!! Was great to my children.”

Mona Lea Wilson-Kiser said it best:

“What a beautiful tribute to you, Greg!!”

 

After a childhood in Monongah, Patrick graduated from Fairmont State University with a degree in education and got a master’s degree at West Virginia University.

In 2000, Greg returned to Monongah to take care of his ailing father. Now, “I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” Greg says.

 

Monongah is richer for that.

Jim Pulice, Eric Pulice and Ron Yanero are Greg’s co-conspirators in the Jenna Won’t Sing Band. Jim Pulice and Greg have been connected to music and have been friends since grade school. Their first band, Valley Fogg, was formed in 1967.

 

They reunited in 1982 along with Jim Pulice's brother, Robert, and Jim's brother-in-law, Phil Westfall, to form Melofin.

 

Today, they are re-united with Jim's son and a friend, Ron Yanero, to form Jenna Won’t Sing.

 

Greg’s other great love is cars. Exotic muscle cars. He runs the Monongahfest Car Show every year and travels around the country to see those magnificent metal masterpieces at other car shows.

 

As the father of perhaps Aurora, Ohio’s greatest teacher, LaQuita, in language arts after a decade as a special ed teacher, and a great admirer of Mary Turkovich, Monongah High’s fantastic math/algebra/geometry teacher who refused to let you NOT learn, my greatest tribute to Greg is this:

 

Welcome to the most important group to every society, teachers extraordinaire, who help create the future of every country. LaQuita and Miss Turkovich heartily welcome you into their world!