Two beloved Whittier School icons retired and were honored by school children, parents and staff. After 28 years as administrative secretary, Catherine Jolly said goodbye to a gathering of fans of all ages Oct. 14 in the library. The following day custodian Terry Lindsey, 55, and students whooped it up in the lunchroom where he moved from table to table to say so long as the kids wolfed down cake served in his honor. He had been with the Seattle School district 28 years, first at Blaine, then Olympic View, and arrived at Whittier 10 years ago.

"Terry and I got along very well. We'll miss the kids and staff," said Jolly with an Irish lilt. The exuberant redhead was born in Dublin. "I got married last May. It will be lovely to travel off-season. I have a sister, nieces, and nephews in Ireland we plan to visit." Her husband, David, retired after 39 years as accountant at I. P. Callison. "They put the mint in your toothpaste," she said.

PTA co-presidents Susan Weber and Barbara Hazzard presented Jolly with a plaque.

"She knew the answer to all the questions," Weber said. "It's sad she retired, but I'm happy for her."

"We used to laugh a lot," recalled Vera Baumgartner, Jolly's assistant from 1989 to 2000. "And if we got too loud in the outer office, the principal would quickly close his door and that was our signal we were being too noisy."

"She was competent but always so bubbly, and made my life easier here," said Cothron McMillian, now in her second year as Whittier Principal.

"She made it not as bad being in trouble before having to go into the principal's office," recalled Moses Goldfarb, a former Whittier student who is learning film at Center High School. Not that he misbehaved that much. "I once kicked some guy, and in third grade I accidentally swore outside."

The students especially shared a fondness for Lindsey. "The kids really loved him because of his music said McMillian, who added that they happened to work at Blaine the same time.

"I play guitar and bassed and do sound for a Grateful Dead cover band," said Lindsey, who plans to travel and attend concerts. "My influences are Carl Perkins, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, and a lot of others."

Through music the students acknowledge being influenced by Lindsey.

"He always played (pre-recorded) rock and roll in the lunchroom on Fridays," enthused forth-grader Erika Weber. "He loves teasing people. He liked to take your food and then pretend he wouldn't give it back and you'd chase him around until he'd finally give it back," she laughed.

"He was really funny, just hilarious," added forth-grader Ceci Atkins.