On March 7, Summit Lane lost a beloved staff member - Kenneth Whelan, head custodian. His death was a shock and a tragedy that hit the school community hard. "Kenny," as he was affectionately known to both staff and parents, had worked in Levittown for 24 years, many of them at Summit Lane.

Whelan's career included membership on district committees, membership on the Summit Lane School Development Committee as well as a host of volunteer activities. Mrs. Munz, the school's retired reading teacher, tells the story of how Kenny went into her classroom to share the wealth of information he had about bats. The children were in awe of Mr. Whelan, they loved seeing that side of him. Although he "connected" to them in a myriad of ways, they never knew he was an expert on bats.

When Kenny's health revealed that he had a diseased liver, his landmark surgery received full coverage in an August 2002 issue of Newsday. His daughter Jessica contributed the right lobe of her liver to replace her father's diseased liver, which had to be removed. It seemed that everyone on Long Island became Kenny's champion. After a period of time, he returned to work. Every day he appeared to look and feel better. The Summit Lane community felt that they had the "old Kenny" back again. What they did not know was that his doctors urged him to get a pacemaker, since he had other problems that required attention. Ultimately, it was Kenny's heart that gave out. His time with the district was much too short and his death represented a profound loss to Summit Lane.

Although those who worked with Kenny throughout the year will always remember him, numerous events were planned to celebrate his life and keep his memory alive. The PTA sponsored a Parent/Teacher volleyball game in April. A garden was dedicated to him and the school's staff held a ceremony the last day of school to speak of Kenny and display a beautiful mural prepared by art teacher Saeeda Rahaman. Mrs. Dano planned the event. The school's hallway bench, one of his favorite spots, will have his name and the school's two new rooms will also be dedicated to him.

Many tears were shed on the last day of school in June. All knew that Kenny would have wanted a "light" touch, so many told humorous stories involving his numerous escapades. Nevertheless, the laughter passed, leaving many with a sense of sadness and loss. While the start of the new school year will certainly be tough on many who are used to seeing Kenny's smiling face, the Summit Lane community will have many fond memories to share throughout the school year and many years to come.