Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Vern was my math teacher for the 1968-69 & 1970-71 school years -- 8th grade algebra & 10th-grade pre-calculus, the advanced "Honors" track classes.
I saw in the obit that Vern had earned a Masters from Columbia -- pretty impressive. He was also trusted and respected enough by his peers in the math department to be assigned to teach the Honors sections of the high-ranking Pelham school district.
But I never left the classroom saying "Wow, Mr Wehr is amazing". What I did often leave saying was "Wow, the math is so clear now."
I see now that Mr Wehr was self-effacing. What I learned in the obit explains some of that -- He was a midwesterner.
I went on to earn 3 degrees from MIT and over the course of my career have had interesting & rewarding work in engineering, financial analysis, and business consulting, for all of which I consider the intermediate and advanced algebra Vern taught me to be foundational. What I learned in Vern's classrooms has served me well in life.
Thank you Vern.
Lampros Fatsis
PMHS Class of 1973
