Hap Vaughan - True Gentleman

Math has never been my strong suit (which is funny because that's what I teach now), and I had to have tutors from 7th grade on. My mom was a strong woman because she knew that once I hit 7th grade she wouldn't be able to help, and had no trouble admitting it. When my parents divorced money was tight, so the tutor that I'd had before wouldn't work because of the funds. I started tutoring with a man from church who had volunteered to tutor at a "discounted" rate. One thing I've had to work on since childhood was acting silly instead of letting people know that I didn't get math. One evening as I struggled to grasp a particular concept the man made a comment that really hurt. I lied and told my mom that I thought I didn't need a tutor anymore because I was finally getting it. I forged her signature on progress reports to keep her from seeing the low grades, and was even resigned to the fact that I'd probably lose my spot on the volleyball team because I wasn't going to pass Geometry due to the "No Pass, No Play" rule.

I know there's an underground teacher network in schools, and sure enough my mom found out that I wasn't doing well and confronted me one night about it. After telling her that it was a waste of money to get a tutor for me because I'd never get it, and about the comment the man had made she said she'd figure it out. But I was going to get a tutor and if she had to work another shift at Tom Thumb so she could pay it she would (she already worked the Before and After school program at her school, taught all day, and then went to work at Tom Thumb training checkers from 6-midnight so we could stay in our house).

I'm not sure how it came about, but I started going to see Mr. Vaughan. No matter how many times he told me to call him Hap, I just couldn't. He was a jovial man, always happy and always knew how to explain things on my level. We'd go over to his house and while he tutored me, my mom would visit with his wife, Emily. Hap was a true southern, gentleman. He was an engineer who'd retired and worked with kids who struggled in school. He enjoyed doing that. I remember when I told him that it just seemed easier to work things when I was with him than in school. He would chuckle and tell me how smart I was, and I just needed to believe in myself. I was shocked when he told me that after Algebra II, I needed to take calculus. I laughed it off, but he insisted and said that I thought in the way that would make calculus doable. Eventhough I didn't need it all that much, I still went and tutored with him for Algebra II. I enjoyed visiting with him, and mom enjoyed visiting with Emily.

I went and visited him in the assisted living center he went to at the end of last year. We sat and visited and I caught him up on what I'd been doing since I saw him last. Life got in the way of me visiting him again, but the time I got to visit with him was like 20 years hadn't gone by. He missed his Emily something terrible, and he's finally gone home to her. Hap Vaughan passed away Wednesday, March 24th. I'm going to miss him something terrible.