Lifelong educator knew the names of every student on his watch
There are few professions that wield such a significant daily impact on the lives of so many as educators.
In his 40-year career as an elementary school teacher in Bakersfield and principal at Fruitvale Junior High, it is estimated that John Hefner touched the lives of more than 30,000 students, teachers and parents. And many of them are grieving this week after hearing that Hefner died Sunday at his home in Bakersfield after a brief battle with lymphoma, complicated by a bout with COVID-19. He was 74.
“I just can’t get my head around this, nor can the family, that we won’t be seeing him again,” said Susan Reep, who taught at Fruitvale under Hefner’s tutelage, and remained friends after they retired in 2007.
Hefner may be best known for transforming Fruitvale into a campus known locally and nationally as a History Day powerhouse, a place where students learned to do real research, learned about digging into the archives of universities and presidential libraries, where primary sources were prized. Students from much larger cities got a little nervous when they saw the Fruitvale teams arriving at the national championships held each year at the University of Maryland.
“He really gave the job his full commitment,” said Cathy Abernathy, whose two daughters attended Fruitvale and competed in the History Day finals.
“History Day ... it really put Fruitvale and Bakersfield on the map,” Abernathy said.
Born in Tennessee on April 12, 1946, Hefner’s family moved to Bakersfield in time for him to attend his freshman year at North High School. After graduating in 1964, Hefner studied two years at Bakersfield College and two more at UCLA.
According to Reep, legend has
it that Hefner applied for a job in the Bakersfield City School District, saying he wanted to work at Potomac Elementary in east Bakersfield.
“The district was flabbergasted,” Reep said, “because no one wanted to teach there.
“So they hired him even without his credential.”
Hefner found there wasn’t a lot of communication with families and that student attendance was poor, so he made a personal visit to every student’s home.
“People were shocked,” she said. “It was a very difficult neighborhood, but he did it.”
He stayed for 10 years at BCSD, teaching general education, special education and gifted education programs, designing curriculum, while developing strong relationships with teachers and principals, according to the draft of an obituary being assembled by a group of colleagues and longtime friends.
He started a boxing program for students and served as the president of Bakersfield Saints Athletic Club. As if that weren’t enough, he served on the board of Jack Frost Football and was later active in the Westchester Kiwanis Club, Bakersfield’s Sister City Project, the Kern County Korean War Veteran’s Memorial, the Center for Kern Political Education and more.
But it was the people who crossed his path who seemed to grow and benefit from their experience.
“His light just shone everywhere he went,” said Ruscel Reader, who served as vice principal under Hefner from 1995 to 2000.
“John reminds me of the song that goes, ‘This little light of mine,
I’m going to let it shine,’” Reader said Monday. “His was a spiritual light.”
Reader left Fruitvale, with Hefner’s blessing, to take the principal’s position at the newly built Chavez Elementary in northeast Bakersfield. She recalled a story that speaks volumes about her friend and mentor.
“I remember being nervous about my first back-to-school night at Chavez,” Reader said. “My mom and dad and husband were in the room.”
Then, out of nowhere, Hefner showed up, picked up the microphone and began to let all the parents and visitors know how lucky they were to have a woman of Reader’s skill and value at the school’s helm as its leader.
“I started crying,” she remembered. “That’s the kind of person John was.”
During Hefner’s three decades at Fruitvale, the school was recognized four times as a California Distinguished School and as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Hefner’s hands-on style as principal extended to him climbing into the trenches to coach students in speech contests, spelling bees, math competitions, and of course, History Field Day.
“He never missed an event, a performance, a competition, anything that was important to ‘his kids,’” said Mary Westendorf, a career educator who retired last year as superintendent of the Fruitvale School District.
“His energy surpassed all those around him, he knew every student by name and he knew those that needed an extra dose of compassion.”
Hefner was recognized as California History Educator of the Year in 2001 and Principal of the Year in 2004. He retired from Fruitvale in June 2007 after four decades as an educator.
In retirement, he dedicated much of his time to Bakersfield’s Sister City Program. Not surprisingly, he served the effort with the kind of dedication and passion he had given to all of his endeavors.
But he also loved world travel and the people he met along the way. By the end of his life, Hefner had visited 66 countries.
In 2016, the man of service was presented with the key to the city by outgoing Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall.
Funeral arrangements are pending.