By: Jehiely Balabarca
For students at Collegedale Academy (CA), seeing “Mr. W” walk into the classroom meant more
than having a substitute teacher for the day. It meant laughter, unexpected life lessons and
conversations with someone who remembered their names, celebrated their accomplishments
and treated them like family.
To his students, who knew him as “Mr. W,” Thomas Paul Wagtowicz was like another
grandfather.
Wagtowicz, a former teacher who continued serving CA students in retirement, died on Oct. 12
due to a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a car. He was 84, according to his grandson,
Ryan Williamson, a junior marketing major at Southern Adventist University.
Williamson said Wagtowicz spent his retirement doing what he had devoted much of his life to:
connecting with young people. Through humor, faith and small acts of kindness, he became a
familiar presence to many, with an influence that extended beyond the classroom.
“He was so outgoing,” Williamson said. “He didn’t know a stranger.”
Before moving to Tennessee, Wagtowicz worked as a teacher and principal in Michigan.
Originally from Newburgh, New York, he met his wife while in Michigan and raised their two
daughters there.
Although Wagtowicz had retired from full-time education, he continued substitute teaching at
CA, particularly in history, religion and art classes.
Travis Crawford, principal of CA, described Wagtowicz as someone whose involvement reached
beyond his classroom responsibilities. He attended sporting events, talent shows and music
concerts, taking an interest in the lives and accomplishments of students.
“Mr. W was a happy man who readily shared his joy with others,” Crawford said.
For students, that joy often began the moment he entered the classroom.
Noah Alvarez, a freshman health science major at Southern, said he looked forward to having
Wagtowicz as a substitute throughout his four years at CA.
“Mr. W was the type of substitute teacher that made me happy that he was there instead of the
real teacher,” Alvarez said.
The two developed a playful relationship, frequently teasing each other during class. Whenever
Alvarez walked through the door, Wagtowicz had a familiar greeting waiting for him.
“Oh, here comes trouble,” he would say, usually accompanied by an eye roll.
For Alvarez, those exchanges were more than jokes. They reflected Wagtowicz’s effort to get to
know students personally, even greeting them by name in the hallways.
“He was the type of person to try to get to know as many people as possible, and it was a really
nice feeling when he would yell out your name down the hallway,” Alvarez said.
Ben Zepeda, a freshman nursing major at Southern, remembered a similar sense of familiarity.
What began as a student-teacher’s relationship eventually grew into a friendship between them,
and Zepeda said he came to see Wagtowicz as a grandfather.
“He always made everyone feel included and always tried to make your day better,” Zepeda said.
Wagtowicz also encouraged students to participate in classroom activities, inviting them to help
with attendance, run errands to the office, and lead discussions.
Anastasia Schober, a freshman nursing major at Southern, had Wagtowicz as a substitute
throughout all four years of high school. Initially, she said she saw him as an older teacher who
enjoyed talking. As she got to know him, however, she appreciated his willingness to listen and
offer guidance.
“He was kind of like everyone’s grandpa at CA,” Schober said.
She remembered speaking with him about personal concerns, including relationships, and
receiving advice without feeling judged. His stories about his own marriage were particularly
meaningful to her.
Now in college, Schober said she has a deeper appreciation for the lessons he shared, especially
those about love and relationships.
His commitment to students continued long after they graduated.
Each May, Wagtowicz wrote a personal note to every graduating senior at CA, according to
Crawford. Inside each envelope, he placed a $2 bill, believing they were unusual enough to
become meaningful keepsakes.
Sometimes the envelopes would be decorated with stickers reflecting the students’ interests. A
basketball player might receive a basketball sticker, while a student involved in music might find
a musical note.
He also kept a scrapbook filled with graduation invitations from students over the years.
Williamson remembered his grandfather’s determination to collect those cards, sometimes
continuing to ask former students for them long after graduation.
His generosity was often accompanied by a sense of humor that students and family members
remembered well.
Crawford recalled that Wagtowicz enjoyed sharing historical facts and sometimes arrived in the
classroom wearing a crown. He also celebrated his birthday by distributing Little Debbie snacks
to the school community, a tradition Zepeda remembered from his years at CA.
According to Williamson, Wagtowicz was equally playful around family.
Growing up in Michigan, Williamson and his brother spent summers visiting their grandparents.
During one visit, Williamson helped remove carpeting from their house in exchange for a small
gift.
After completing the work, he persuaded his grandfather to buy him a $70 Lego set instead of the
approximately $20 item they had originally discussed.
Wagtowicz never let him forget it.
Williamson also remembered trips to a local ice cream shop, Christmas celebrations, and a
birthday tradition where his grandfather increased his monetary gift by a dollar each year to
match his age.
For Williamson, those memories reflected a man who valued family, enjoyed making people
laugh and maintained a strong relationship with God.
One of Wagtowicz’s daughters, Melisa Williamson, spoke of her father’s ongoing support for his
family.
“God could have never given me a better dad,” she said. “He wanted everyone to feel important.
He showed up at every program he could for my sister, my kids and myself.”
His faith was also central to the way Wagtowicz interacted with others.
“One thing he would want his family and friends to know is that he loved Jesus and he wants us
all to love Jesus too,” Melisa Williamson said.
Zepeda recalled that Wagtowicz sometimes set aside the planned lesson to share worship
thoughts or offer advice from his own experiences. Schober similarly remembered the way his
patience and encouragement reflected his Christian beliefs.
According to Williamson, a former student reached out to tell him about a message Wagtowicz
had shared during what became his final substitute teaching assignment. Wagtowicz told the
class that when he died, he wanted to see all of them in heaven.
Williamson said he was struck by the fact that students remembered those words and continued
carrying his grandfather’s messages with them.
Following Wagtowicz’s passing, students at CA signed a large card for his family and shared
memories of him in their classrooms, Crawford said.
“He will be greatly missed, and frankly, things at that school will seem off without him,” Zepeda
said.
Melisa Williamson said her Christian faith givers her hope of reuniting with her father someday.
“To live without him is unimaginable,” she said, “but knowing that I will see him again and we
get to be together, praising our Lord and Savior in Heaven someday is priceless.”
Williamson said his grandfather’s life demonstrated that age does not diminish a person’s ability
to influence younger generations.
“Even though you’re like 84 and you’re out of high school, you can still make such a big impact
on younger generations,” Williamson said.
For Alvarez, that impact will remain part of how he remembers his high school years.
“He really was one of my highlights of my high school experience, and I will carry his memory
with me for the rest of my life,” Alvarez said.
And for Zepeda, the legacy of Mr. W is inseparable from the joy, encouragement and faith he
shared with students.
“We miss you, Mr. W,” he said. “Until we meet again.”
