Published in the September 28, 2017 edition

KEANNA LAMONT, the recipient of the first Eleanor C. Dell Memorial Scholarship in 2014, meets the nephew of her benefactor, Jerry Iandoli, at last week’s unveiling of the commemorative plaque honoring Dell’s legacy and the endowment she established to benefit NRHS students. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

NORTH READING — Not a soul that passed through the halls and classrooms of North Reading High School for the 30 years between 1964 and 1994 could escape the positive influence of Eleanor C. “Ellie” Dell.

Best known for her dynamic creative writing classes, she was a larger than life personality who knew how to educate the whole student long before such a term became part of the educational lexicon.

And, thanks to her generous heart, she’ll continue to influence future generations of North Reading’s students with the establishment of a scholarship endowment from her estate of $625,000. An additional sum of $15,000 was earmarked for arts education in the secondary schools and a $5,000 scholarship was granted to the first Eleanor C. Dell Scholarship recipient when the fund was formally established in the spring of 2014, bringing her total gift to the North Reading community to $645,000. Appropriately, though she was too young to have met her, the first scholarship recipient, Keanna Lamont, is studying education at Boston College.

With the completion of the new North Reading High School and Middle School, an appropriate location was sought to erect a brass plaque memorializing Dell’s legacy. It was unveiled September 21 during a reception attended by dozens of her former colleagues and students as well as current and former School Committee members, at which her nephew, Jerry Iandoli, and her friend, Mary Starble, who both serve as trustees of the endowment, were also recognized.

Superintendent of Schools Jon Bernard told those gathered that the area selected for this dedication leads to the arts wing of the school. It will be seen by everyone who passes by it to attend an event at the gymnasium as well.

Bernard added that he enjoyed reading the teacher evaluations placed in Dell’s thick personnel file, many of which were hand-written by former principals and English Department heads and provided a glimpse into the special person that she was.

One such evaluation was written by the late Dr. William Butler, who retired as principal of NRHS in the 1990s. “Once again, Miss Dell must be praised for her tireless efforts on behalf of her students, faculty and administration to promote a warm, productive school atmosphere. Her compassion, understanding, wit and grace enhance the tone of the school. Hers is a classroom where students are happy to be,” Butler wrote.

In another evaluation, Butler observed: “Warmth and a sense of camaraderie characterize her relationships with other staff members. In a sense, she functions as head cheerleader for the staff.” As Bernard read these words, Dell’s many colleagues in the audience nodded in agreement.

Bernard then quoted former department head Russell Dever, not knowing he was in the audience as well: “Pupil motivation has long been one of Miss Dell’s strengths. She brings a contagious enthusiasm to the classroom.” Those in attendance agreed.

Though more that three years has passed since the endowment was announcement, Bernard still remains in awe of the phone call he received while still the principal of NRHS from an attorney inquiring how to establish a scholarship fund in memory of a departed faculty member. Thinking it would be the typical $500 to $1,000 gift, he outlined the steps required, such as the one-page form that needed to be filled out and submitted to the school’s guidance department. The attorney allowed him to finish, then explained that this scholarship would be in the amount of “six figures.”

“Initially, they thought it would be in the amount of $400,000,” he recalled, but every time they spoke, it grew larger, until the final amount was set prior to a presentation to the School Committee in the spring of 2014.

“We pay tribute to Ellie today, a wonderful lady with a huge heart who was truly representative of all the fine things we hope for in all of our teachers,” Bernard said. Addressing her nephew, he said, “Her legacy will forever stand here and it is my gratitude that I extend to you on behalf of the school district.” Iandoli said they were happy to be able to do so.

School Committee Chairman Mel Webster said he didn’t know Ellie, so he took to social media to find out from the source — her former students — a little bit about who she was. After reading the many tributes made to her from them, he came away wishing he had known her as well.

“She taught English, but she played a much larger role in the lives of her students. We talk a lot about her generosity in the money left for the scholarships and the art department, and that’s awesome, but you can’t put a value on what she left with so many students who graduated from NRHS,” he said.

Most students referred to her affectionately as “Ma Dell” for her mothering instincts. “The words used most often were amazing, lovely, incredible, and my favorite, a lot of people called her ‘grand,’ and based on these quotes, she was a grand woman,” Webster said.

“She was one of those teachers you looked forward to seeing while you were in school,” wrote one student.”

Another said: “Amazing woman and the kindest heart I ever met. I even told my children what a difference she made in my life.”

“Everyone’s life is better with a Mrs. Dell in it” was a personal favorite of Webster’s.

“She helped me see in myself someone I really wanted to get to know better. What a gift! She nurtured a love of writing that has stayed with me for the past 50 years and changed the course of my life,” Webster read from a post by another former student, simply amazed by the gratitude that remained with this student.

Three of her friends and colleagues, Lillian Diezemann, Joan O’Donnell and Bob Ward, also recounted the impact Dell had made on their lives and careers.

Diezemann soon realized shortly after beginning her tenure at NRHS in 1987 that “Momma Dell was just that — a mother to all. Giving advice, when asked, or sometimes, in her subtle way, when not asked. Ellie would make suggestions which in the end, whether you asked for it or not, you knew she as correct.”

Ward made everyone laugh when he recalled being assigned to teach a creative writing class to a group of students who had expected to be taught by Dell. “Creative writing, at least when I started, was Ellie’s baby. … So many kids had signed up that there was a spillover — to me. It worked out fine and I don’t take it personally; I take it as a sign of how beloved she was. The kids were not happy, but I survived it and they survived it,” Ward said.

O’Donnell recalled how she and Ellie worked overtime on the last day of school in 1982 developing a lesson plan for their master’s in special education, which they had been studying together at Simmons College. It was after 5 p.m. and the custodians would be locking the doors soon. Ellie told her if they did, they could just crawl out the windows “and then I’ll be off to Goose Rocks Beach for the summer.” Unbeknownst to them, the worried custodians had already called Dr. O’Donoghue, the superintendent, who instructed them not to disturb them or to lock the doors “because they would eventually leave!”

O’Donnell said she was proud to call her a friend and colleague for 22 years and misses her every day.