The family of the late Fred Small, who died in July after having served on the Whitman-Hanson Regional School Committee for several years, attended the Nov. 13 meeting to receive a plaque honoring him.
Supertintendent of Schools Jeff Szymaniak presented the plaque to the Small family, reading the inscription aloud: “In appreciation for your years of committed and dedicated service to the Whitman-Hanson Regional School District, 2012- 2024.”
“I also have his nameplate,” Szymaniak said. “You’ve got to keep his nameplate.”
He also presented the family with a letter, a copy of which they had already received, from fellow member Stephen Bois regarding the Chromebooks he donates to the district in Small’s name.
School Committee Chair Beth Stafford offered some remarks of remembrance for Small, as well.
“Fred and I have gone back many, many years – as a chair of the negotiation team with Fred on the other side, to being on the same team with him on the School Committee,” Stafford said. “Fred and I would disagree on many points, but there was always great respect, and with that great respect came a bond within the last couple of years … that I find very difficult now that he’s not here.
“I relied on Fred to give me background on past information – what happened – so we miss him this year with the negotiations because he was there though a lot of why this happened and why that happened,” she said. “He put his everything into the School Committee. He was so concerned with what went on with the children of the towns and with everything on the School Committee.
“He was always in touch with the Legislature, letting us know what bill was being done and what was happening next and where we should go,” she said. “He is a great loss, not only to his family, but to our family here at the Whitman-Hanson School Committee.”
Former School Committee Chair Bob Hayes also spoke during the brief ceremony.
“Bob Hayes would also like to say a few words … if he can say just a few words,” Stafford quipped. “I don’t know – Bob has a hard time with just a few.”
He offered what he described as a quick snapshot of Fred Small.
“Fred started on the Building Committee for this very beautiful building that we’re in.” Hayes said. “He served for many years, advocating for this building – whether it was holding signs downtown, because we had a couple of failed building [efforts], and Fred was always on it like a hornet.
Then he recalled how Small had called him to ask what he thought about Fred’s running for School Committee.
“I said, ‘I don’t know, Fred, it could go either way,’” Hayes recalled. “Fred started that journey in 2012 and he served four three-year terms. Fred was in his fifth term – he had just been re-elected when he passed.
“He called me two weeks before he passed – and this will tell you how much he was just all about Whitman-Hanson – he said, ‘Bob, what should I do? We’ve got this going on, and that going on,’ because he was the chair of the Whitman Middle School Building Committee, and I said, ‘Fred, do what you think?’ That’s the type of guy Fred was. It was right here,” he said, pointing to his own heart.
Members of Small’s family were too emotional to say anything.
Thank you for coming tonight and letting us honor Fred,” Stafford said.
– Tracy F. Seelye