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WORK, PUPILS ARE JOE'S ELIXIR OF LIFE.


Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
  • Dennis McCarthy (composer), (born 1945), an American composer
  • Dennis McCarthy (congressman), (19th century) Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1885
  • Dennis McCarthy MBE (radio presenter), British radio presenter
 

He's lovingly called Grandpa Joe by the teachers and students over at Village Christian School Village Christian School is a private, protestant K-12 school located in Sun Valley, California, a part of the City of Los Angeles. The school consisting of Elementary (K-5), Middle School (6-8), and High School (9-12) on a 30+ acre campus[].  in Sun Valley - Grandpa Joe, the fix-it man.

Four days a week, eight hours a day, Grandpa Joe is somewhere on the school grounds fixing a desk or locker, putting in new ceiling lights, or hanging a world map or class pictures on the walls.

Pretty active work for a man who turns 90 this Sunday. Turns it with a lust Lust
See also Profligacy, Promiscuity.

Aeshma

fiend of evil passion. [Iranian Myth.: Leach, 17]

Aholah and Aholibah

lusty whores; bedded from Egypt to Babylon. [O.T.: Ezekiel 23:1–21]

Alcina

lustful fairy. [Ital.
 for life that for the last 20 years has captivated cap·ti·vate  
tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates
1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm.

2. Archaic To capture.
 the minds and hearts of students and teachers here as much as any American hero American Hero may refer to:
  • American Hero (novel), written by Larry Beinhart
  • The Greatest American Hero
 in any of their history books.

Grandpa Joe may have never made it past ninth grade himself, but what he has to teach the 2,000 kids who go to Valley Christian is Christian I (krĭs`chən), 1426–81, king of Denmark (1448–81), Norway (1450–81), and Sweden (1457–64), count of Oldenburg, and founder of the Oldenburg dynasty of Danish kings.  more important than anything you can learn with a college degree, the teachers say.

He teaches respect and he teaches kindness. He teaches, by example, that no matter how old your birth certificate says you are - even 90 - you can still be vital in a job, you can still be needed.

But most of all what Grandpa Joe teaches on his rounds as the school's fix-it man is that there is no expiration date Expiration Date

The day on which an options or futures contract is no longer valid and, therefore, ceases to exist.

Notes:
The expiration date for all listed stock options in the U.S.
 on working.

If you want to keep going - if you don't want to quit and retire - well, don't.

Grandpa Joe hasn't.

His full name is Joe Leithem, and he lives over in Van Nuys with his wife of 68 years, April. They have three children, 10 grandchildren GRANDCHILDREN, domestic relations. The children of one's children. Sometimes these may claim bequests given in a will to children, though in general they can make no such claim. 6 Co. 16. , 27 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

And every Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists.  at least one branch of the family comes over for dinner.

``We've all told dad he's given us a great heritage so we don't need any inheritance,'' says his daughter, Nancy Palmer.

``My grandfather was an immigrant patriot with a great love for America, and my dad has passed that on to all his kids and grandkids.

``He had to leave school after the ninth grade to work and help support the family, and never made it back to finish his education.

``But he's one of the smartest, decent men you will ever meet, and he absolutely loves being there with those kids.''

Back in school again at 90.

If you need something built, you let Grandpa Joe know and he'll build it for you, says Phyllis Carlson, secretary in the school's maintenance department.

Susanne McClean, the music teacher the past 22 years, needed some new cabinets put in recently. A few days later, they were in.

``What can I do to thank you?'' she asked Joe.

``Write me a song,'' he said.

So Susanne did.

This week - for his 90th birthday - she sang Joe's song to him, then 12 teachers stood up to read the chapters of Grandpa Joe's life his kids and grandkids filled in for them.

And then, one by one, more than 100 kids in the school walked up to Grandpa Joe and gave him a birthday card and a hug because to them this man who fixes things in their school has become as important as any hero in their history books.

``They see Grandpa Joe still coming to work every day with a smile on his face and a kindness in his heart that infects everyone,'' McClean said. ``They've come to love him, and know he is someone very, very special.''

Not a lot of things surprise him anymore, Joe was saying Thursday, but this surprise 90th birthday party the school threw for him sure did.

The way he sees it these teachers and kids are his elixir of life Elixir of Life

fabulous potion conferring immortality. [Medieval Legend: Brewer Dictionary, 371]

See : Unattainability
 because without them, without this job, well, he probably wouldn't be celebrating any more birthdays.

``My doctor says it's the best thing for me, and he's right,'' Joe said. ``I tried retiring once and it almost killed me.''

He was finishing up a long career with Hughes Aircraft Hughes Aircraft Company was a major aerospace and defense company founded by Howard Hughes. The group was based near Ballona Creek, in Culver City, California, USA, on the Pacific Coast.

Hughes Aircraft was acquired by General Motors in 1985.
 Co. as a parts supervisor, and after a few months at home he was going stir-crazy, Joe said.

``I started working with my grandson Grandson (gräNsôN`), Ger. Grandsee, town (1990 pop. 2,473), Vaud canton, W Switzerland, at the southwestern end of the Lake of Neuchâtel.  who was building some new classrooms at Valley Christian, and the guy who was in charge of construction asked if he could borrow me for a couple of weeks.

``That was more than 20 years ago, and I'm still here.''

The school's fix-it man turning 90 - teaching kids respect and kindness on his rounds.

Teaching them that no matter how old a person is he can still be vital in a job, still be needed.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Village Christian students wish ``Grandpa'' Joe Leithem a happy 90th birthday Thursday in Sun Valley. Joe turns 90 Sunday, and has worked as a fix-it man at the school for the last 20 years.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer
COPYRIGHT 2002 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2002, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Oct 4, 2002
Words:792
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