" Ping,stop cleaning those windows in the hallway so good..We had 2 birds hit them"
Got horrible news yesterday down here in Austin ....the principal who replaced me at EHS called...at first thought it was them calling me to come back again from retirement...kinda wish it was but it wasn't...CB said " box our superintendent wanted us to contact you before you heard from anyone else that Ping[ our custodian} was involved in a double murder suicide...he shot his ex-girlfriend and her boy friend and then committed suicide...I just sat there on my couch in shock.. my wife came in and asked if I was ok...how,why,etc ran through my mind..every principal has his favorite teachers,custodians,lunch ladies,hall monitors,etc...the key is not letting other people know...Ping worked as a custodian for 30 years at EHS...he opened the building at 5.30am everyday and I came in right after him...we would both check on the building for heat and talk for an hour before everyone else arrived...his was born in Puerto Rico but lived here for 40 years...he had 7 principals before me but I knew he liked me more then anyone...a great worker respected by teachers and students...there were times when we had some students that were out of line and Hispanic...I would call in Ping to talk to them...not to many times a principal would call in a custodian to help with discipline...but he knew the students parents in the community and it was about " respect"...that is what Ping would tell the students...and I could see these kids had so much respect for him they listened...this morning reading facebook with teachers and students writing such nice things..
I read the Times Herald Record this morning about the details..with his picture on the front cover...PM the village police chief said he knew Ping for 30 years...not a parking ticket,nothing...
What he did was wrong...not sure what made him snap to a point of what he did...its so hard for me and many other to understand why..not trying here to make him look good...to do what he did is unconscionable ..
but I loved that man....I guess we will learn more in the next couple of days...not sure how EHS is handling it school this morning...We have a crisis team that is trained in dealing with tragedies...but he knew everyone...
My heart is with the staff up there...and I know they will do a great job in dealing with it today..
My 1st few weeks at EHS my secretaries,and other staff would tell me the windows in the hallways going to the cafeteria needed a cleaning ...I guess there was some bad blood with the past principal over cleaning assigments..so I asked Ping if we both could clean them before school one morning..of course seeing me clean them shamed him somewhat.." Mr Box,put that windex away...I will clean them...I still helped him...in a week they were all done..even though the other custodians made fun of Ping " brown nosing the new principal" but the long hallway had the cleanest windows...maybe about a week later during class changes a bird hit one of the windows..stunned him and he flew away...all the janitors happened to be in the hallway...so when I walked by the window panes I said " Ping,stop cleaning those windows,its the 2nd bird that hit them this week...." and everyone laughed.. but Ping was so proud..so for the next 2 years every time I walked by those windows my other custodians sarcastically would pretend to clean the windows and laugh....but you know I would always have the last laugh..I would stop and point out " you guys missed those 2 spots and keep walking..
Ping,I love you and will miss you..my thoughts and prayers are with your family and the families of your girlfriend
and friend...I know we don't know why and have so many unanswered questions about mental health,etc... RIP..
Got horrible news yesterday down here in Austin ....the principal who replaced me at EHS called...at first thought it was them calling me to come back again from retirement...kinda wish it was but it wasn't...CB said " box our superintendent wanted us to contact you before you heard from anyone else that Ping[ our custodian} was involved in a double murder suicide...he shot his ex-girlfriend and her boy friend and then committed suicide...I just sat there on my couch in shock.. my wife came in and asked if I was ok...how,why,etc ran through my mind..every principal has his favorite teachers,custodians,lunch ladies,hall monitors,etc...the key is not letting other people know...Ping worked as a custodian for 30 years at EHS...he opened the building at 5.30am everyday and I came in right after him...we would both check on the building for heat and talk for an hour before everyone else arrived...his was born in Puerto Rico but lived here for 40 years...he had 7 principals before me but I knew he liked me more then anyone...a great worker respected by teachers and students...there were times when we had some students that were out of line and Hispanic...I would call in Ping to talk to them...not to many times a principal would call in a custodian to help with discipline...but he knew the students parents in the community and it was about " respect"...that is what Ping would tell the students...and I could see these kids had so much respect for him they listened...this morning reading facebook with teachers and students writing such nice things..
I read the Times Herald Record this morning about the details..with his picture on the front cover...PM the village police chief said he knew Ping for 30 years...not a parking ticket,nothing...
What he did was wrong...not sure what made him snap to a point of what he did...its so hard for me and many other to understand why..not trying here to make him look good...to do what he did is unconscionable ..
but I loved that man....I guess we will learn more in the next couple of days...not sure how EHS is handling it school this morning...We have a crisis team that is trained in dealing with tragedies...but he knew everyone...
My heart is with the staff up there...and I know they will do a great job in dealing with it today..
My 1st few weeks at EHS my secretaries,and other staff would tell me the windows in the hallways going to the cafeteria needed a cleaning ...I guess there was some bad blood with the past principal over cleaning assigments..so I asked Ping if we both could clean them before school one morning..of course seeing me clean them shamed him somewhat.." Mr Box,put that windex away...I will clean them...I still helped him...in a week they were all done..even though the other custodians made fun of Ping " brown nosing the new principal" but the long hallway had the cleanest windows...maybe about a week later during class changes a bird hit one of the windows..stunned him and he flew away...all the janitors happened to be in the hallway...so when I walked by the window panes I said " Ping,stop cleaning those windows,its the 2nd bird that hit them this week...." and everyone laughed.. but Ping was so proud..so for the next 2 years every time I walked by those windows my other custodians sarcastically would pretend to clean the windows and laugh....but you know I would always have the last laugh..I would stop and point out " you guys missed those 2 spots and keep walking..
Ping,I love you and will miss you..my thoughts and prayers are with your family and the families of your girlfriend
and friend...I know we don't know why and have so many unanswered questions about mental health,etc... RIP..
