Retired teacher plans to stay active in the community

After 25 years of directing and teaching, hundreds if not thousands of people, Paul Demeritt has retired but he’s not going to stop working.

Demeritt served as director of the FCS Players, the theater arts department of Faith Christian High School, as well as a teacher at the Yuba City school.

“Though I am retired from Faith Christian High School, I intend to stay active in the community and to continue my work with Adventist+rideout Healthy Kids,” Demeritt said. “Every single thing I have done since 1975, I have done with my wife Anne or with her wonderful support and involvement.”

Demeritt said he was Anne’s director in a theater troupe in Bozeman, Mont. in 1975 and the couple married two years later in 1977.

“Anne is my life partner, my soul and heart mate and my dear wife; an amazing mom of four kids and their spouses and grandmother to 12 grandkids,” Demeritt said. “Along the way, she worked as a teacher’s aide for 23 years, painted sets, performed occasionally, sewed costumes, served as ‘company mom’ to the FCS Players, encouraged countless kids and adults – my friends call her, ‘St. Anne’ because of her saintly and loving attitude and because it would take a saint to put up with this crazy Irishman for 45 years.”

His children are: Matthew Demeritt, Lindsay Roberts, Lauren Mattos and Katie Jones.

“All my kids were in my plays,” Demeritt said. “Then every one of them partnered with me in directing Young People’s Summer Theatre and Awesome After School Drama and on so many of the projects over the years.”

Demeritt was the cofounding director and cocreator of, Way, Way, Way Off Broadway, a charity fund-raising event sponsored by Yuba City Rotary Club and featuring theatre, dance and performing arts troupes and individual acts that ran from 2002-2012.

“My entire career in the arts, education and ministry simply could not have taken place without literally hundreds, if not thousands of friends, colleagues, fellow artists, parents, mentors and supporters,” Demeritt said.

He’s also done independent consulting to schools, businesses, civic organizations, churches, colleges and universities in all areas of theater and production.

Demeritt has also directing or produced more than 200 productions.

“In a way, I feel like George Bailey in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ in the final scene when he reads the inscription in Tom Sawyer from his angel friend Clarence: ‘Remember, no man is a failure who has friends! Thanks for the wings, love Clarence,’” he said. “When I think back over the past 40-plus years and especially of my time here in Yuba City, I know that I haven’t been a failure because I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends – and I also know that it is them who have given me wings.” I’m a big supporter of the hospital,” Schreiber said. “I’ve worked with Rideout for 15 years as a registered nurse and I’m the clinical coordinator in cardiac ICU.”

She said the camaraderie among nurses, doctors and staff is very strong and that she loves connecting with patients in the community, if the opportunity arises.

“I love seeing people around town that we’ve treated,” Schreiber said. “I’m not supposed to reach out to them but when they notice me, they’re very thankful – we can get very personal with people and the connections can be very strong.”

She and Lopez started practicing moves for their two dances in May and hit the dance floor once or twice a week.

“My dance history is from 22 years ago when I was a cheerleader in high school doing jumps and splits,” she said. “I can still do those moves and Dave can flip me so we’re working on those moves for our dances.”

They’ve got a jive dance planned and will be wearing outfits from the ‘50s as well as a pasodoble dance (Spanish for double step – a dance that emulates the movements of a bullfight).

“Quite a handful of doctors and nurses will be there and I’m a little nervous but it’s all for a good cause,” she said. “I’m donating to the cardiac program.”

Jeff Swanson, executive director of the Rideout Health Foundation, said the sold-out event is a great way to bring the larger community into the community of the hospital and foundation.

“Every year, we’re involving several community members who become advocates and fundraisers for the hospital and foundation,” he said. “From that standpoint, it has great community involvement from participants who bring their circle of family, friends and supporters to the foundation and hospital who may have never been part of that circle before.”

He said one of the challenges this year is the move from a two-day event to a one-day event.

“We have 506 attendees and are looking to raise $80,000 in one day versus two days,” he said. “We’ve had tremendous support from the community and cast in the last few months.”

Dance with Our Stars webpage: https://bit. ly/2vqr8dk.