Helen, Genna, Marcy

Our hearts are broken.  Remembering times spent with Phread and you. He always was so positive and endearing....so much fun to be with. We will truly miss him.  Sending all of you hugs. Love always, Pam and Barb

I graduated Schuyler around 2012/2013, and though I am now 26 and don't recall much of public schooling, I have never ONCE forgotten my time in Mr Ayres' class. I remember walking into class and thinking, "wow, this guy has a whole auditorium-style room just for himself? This better be good." And let me tell you it was. We didn't learn rocket science or anything, but this man's attitude and general relaxed atmosphere made me feel comfortable just sitting there and nerding out about science, which was super important to me as a nerd living in a football-centered town. I remember the constant, sheer amount of students trying to sneak in or stay late to talk with Mr Ayres, just because he was that friendly of a guy. If I recall correctly, at the time there were rumors of him being sick but not many people knew specifically what. His home made drinks/veggie smoothies actually stuck with me all this time, and it subtly helped me be open to trying healthier foods (albeit 10 years later hahaha. I love cooking now!). Im not going to sit here and try to speak for everyone, as I was rather quiet and reserved back then and didn't branch out very far (heavily medicated for ADHD for at least 16 years, like 55mg kind of stuff), but let me tell you that from the moment I sat in class for the first time, all the chaos in my mind settled and I could actually look forward to learning without all the pressure to "be like everyone else". That is and has been incredibly valuable to me ever since.

Today, I write this while sitting at my desk as a professional mechanical engineer of 3 years. Mr Ayres and others like him helped lay the foundations for my success, and I will always hold him in very high regard and with the utmost respect. I will miss him, we will ALL miss him; he has touched the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people, and showed them the path of kindness and kowledge. He will always be among the few people I look back and remember when asked how I got my start in life. I hope I never forget his voice, and I can only hope he was the shining light we saw him as every day to all of you. I wish you love, kindness, and patience, and I hope it comes across that I really do mean it with every fiber of my being. Rest easy Mr Ayres