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.
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!
