Honored grads community leaders, sports standouts and heroes
PUBLISHED: May 1, 2008
Van Buren Public Schools Superintendent Pete L. Lazaroff, Jr. is pleased to invite the public to the 2008 Belleville High School Distinguished Graduates award ceremonies on set for 2 p.m. Sunday at the Belleville High School Auditorium.
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The District will honor the Distinguished Graduates at an induction ceremony held jointly with the inductees of the National Honor Society. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony. Pictures of the Distinguished Graduates will be placed in the Hall of Fame display in the Belleville High School Auditorium lobby.
Catherine Atkins (Stull), Class of 1958
Catherine (Kay) Atkins graduated from BHS in 1958. She studied hard, but was unable to participate in many extracurricular activities because of lack of transportation. After graduation, Kay attended the University of Arkansas studying professional Technical Writing.
She has a varied employment history from Social Security Administration to VA Hospital employee to operating a restaurant. However, most people are familiar with her local quilt shop and her many community projects and ideas.
Kay has been a driving force in the Belleville community. She served on the City Council for eight years; served on the Wayne County Fair Board of Directors; was a charter/founding member of the Belleville Area Council for the Arts; started the Festival of Holiday Trees at Quirk school which has become a local annual event; started the Tri-County Youth Board with school children; organized fund-raisers for the local Historical Museum; founded the local Quilt Guild/shows; obtained funding for the Skate Park project; started Girl Scout Troops in various areas; served in the military; started the Harvest Fest and Farmers' Market: was responsible for Michigan Quilting Day proclamation; organized charity quilt drives for Rotoplast (cleft palate deformities) of 500 quilts to be donated through the Rotary International, 70 quilts for the Methodist Boys' Home, and 50 tactile quilts for the Penrickton Center for Blind Children.
Kay was instrumental in implementing the low-cost senior and disabled transportation program in Belleville by arranging funding for the vans to provide transportation. She led a local group to do yard work and snow removal for seniors and disabled persons in Belleville.
She founded the Tri-Community Youth Board with school children and the city council "Outstanding Student of the Month" program which was later adopted by the Van Buren Public Schools District.
The Council recognized the student and family at council meetings with a plaque and photo. She is responsible for the BHS equestrians receiving a BHS letter for their participation on the team.
In addition to all of the above, she is a mentor to numerous people. It would be safe to say that if you live in the Belleville/Van Buren area, then Kay has touched you life in one way or another.
"I have lived in several different states since graduation and was involved in school and business activities to better serve youth and the community," says Kay. "I don't keep score on what I do, I just try to make my community better."
Thomas FielderClass of 1964
Thomas Fielder graduated from Belleville High School in 1964. He graduated third in his class, was a charter member of the BHS National Honor Society (1963), vice president of the Student Council, member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society club and president of the Varsity Club.
He was also received six Varsity Letters for Baseball (three), Football (two), and Basketball (one), received the Bosch and Lomb Science Award, and the State of Michigan Academic Scholarship.
Tom graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 1968 with a Major in History. He then returned to Belleville High School as a Social Studies teacher.
Tom stayed active in BHS sports by serving as a football and baseball coach, acting as Scorer/Timer for BHS football, basketball, and wrestling (1968-2006), acting as meet manager for football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, softball, and track (1968-2004), and is a MHSAA baseball/softball official (1996 to present). In addition to all of this, he sat as committee chair for North Central Accreditation for the district and was part of the state committee to develop the Social Studies MEAP test.
Since his retirement from teaching in 1996, he has stayed active in a variety of community service positions. He served as a member of the Belleville Parks and Recreation Commission, sat on the Board of Directors for Growthworks, Inc., has been a member of Resources to Aid Community Youth since 1998, and Mayor of the City of Belleville from 1998-2007. He has been involved in the Conference of Western Wayne County Governments (9 years total, 3 years as Chairman, 3 years as Chairman Emeritus) and CWW Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee as Chairman. He has been involved in the Belleville Area Central Business Community Committee since 1998 and the Vice President of the Belleville Area Historical Society since inception to the present. He has received the "Extra Effort Award" from Growthworks and was named "2007 Newsmaker of the Year" by the Belleville Enterprise.
"I feel like I am still in the middle of many activities and have numerous goals yet to accomplish." Fielder said, reflecting on his induction as a Distinguished Graduate. "Looking back does make you think about what you have done."
Michael Q. GarlandClass of 1972
Mike Garland graduated from Belleville High School in 1972. During his high school years he was a successful student and athlete. His abilities on the basketball court led to a full athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University.
After graduating from Northern Michigan University (1977-79), he returned to Belleville High School as an assistant coach (1977-1979), Junior Varsity Coach (1982-1987), and then head coach (1987-1996).
He also taught Physical Education and Health while at Belleville High. During this time, He posted a career record of 153-49 (.757) while earning numerous coaching honors. He was selected as the Associated Press' 1993-94 Michigan High School Coach of the Year while also being named the Michigan Mega Red Conference Coach of the Year.
Garland, who coached three players to first-team all-state honors during his tenure at Belleville, was named the all-Suburban Coach of the Year during the same campaign by the Detroit Free Press. His Belleville teams won six Mega Red Conference championships, four district titles and advanced to the state tournament quarter finals in 1991.
Mike left Belleville High School at the end of the 1995-96 school year to become the assistant men's basketball coach at Michigan State University in 1996. In his seven seasons at MSU, Garland helped coach the Spartans to five NCAA Tournaments, Four Big Ten Championships, Two Big Ten Tournament Championships, three Final Fours, and one National Championship.
He excels in self-scouting and individual player improvement. His instruction led to six Spartans being selected in the NBA Draft during a three-year span from 2000-02. In total he worked with nine Spartans that were in the draft.
He then left MSU after the 2003-04 season to become head basketball coach at Cleveland State University. During his three seasons at Cleveland State, he helped the team attain the fifth-best improvement in league history. Mike then spent two seasons as the associate head coach at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, before his return to MSU.
Mike is well respected by his students and colleagues for his work ethic and commitment to excellence which has helped him excel at all his endeavors. He has a tremendous passion for coaching and developing relationships with players. Garland's family includes his wife, Cynthia, daughter, Simone, sons Quentin and Michael Ray, and two grandchildren.
Ricky LaPenseeClass of 1977
Rick LaPensee graduated from Belleville High School in 1977.
During his tenure at Belleville High School he was involved with baseball, swimming and track. After high school, Rick earned his Associates Degree in 1991 from Washtenaw Community College in Fire Science and then finished his Bachelor's Degree in 1999 from Eastern Michigan University in Public Safety Administration. He was pursuing a master's degree in Emergency Management as EMU.
After graduation he began working for General Motors as Security/Fire Prevention and for the Van Buren Township Department of Public Safety where he was lieutenant and captain of the fire division. Then in 1993 he started working for the city of Ypsilanti's Fire Department as a firefighter/EMT. Rick not only worked for the Fire Department but was also a Licensed Emergency Medical Technician and a P.A.D.I. Open Water Diver. At the time of his death, Rick was working toward the Fire Marshall position in Ypsilanti.
He started his life-saving career as a lifeguard at Van Buren Park. Rick was a selfless person who routinely put his own life on the line to save others. Among the lives he save are a seven month old child in an auto accident, a 78 year-old-man, and he even rescued a dog from a burning house that had to be resuscitated (the owner was very grateful). He also delivered a baby while on duty with the Ypsilanti Fire Department.
On June 4, 2007, while on a Survival Flight organ procurement mission for the U of M Transplant Center, his plane crashed into Lake Michigan. Rick LaPensee, along with five other men, perished in the line of duty.
Rick was a truly a special individual who will be greatly missed by those whose lives he touched. He will be long remembered by all who knew of his work for his dedication to his family, firefighting, and flying. He had a great sense of humor and was well thought of by anyone who met him. He enjoyed boating with his family, golfing, collecting model fire trucks and he loved to build model planes and ships.
Rick is survived by his wife of 23 years, Claudia; his two son's Brendon and Derrick; his parents Sonny and Lula LaPensee; his sister Connie Ray and his brother Gary Foster (both of whom graduated from BHS), and his extended family at the Ypsilanti Fire Department. Rick has since his death became a grandfather on February 28, 2008 whose parents are Brendon and Marie."
For more information please call the Van Buren Public Schools' Communications Department at 697-9123, ext. 224.
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