2015 Wednesday -- My Colleague Retires

I wrote a few words about my special friend, who is retiring in just a few days at the end of this school term, and sent them to the colleagues in my department at the college where I teach.


Dr. Arend Flick is retiring. He is a remarkable human being. The Communications Department is a better department because of his leadership and participation. 

As a part-timer in June of 1991, I was standing in the secretary's office in the English Department at the Riverside Campus the day she received the phone call that a man named Arend Flick was the newest hire. Then he and I met each other on the first day of orientation for new full-time faculty in September of that year. I liked him immediately. 

That semester Arend's full teaching load was at the Riverside campus and mine was half at Riverside and half at Norco. The next semester, I was fully at Norco, and his load was half at Riverside and half at Norco. Back then all the faculty offices at Norco were shared offices. He and I began sharing an office at Norco that semester and that led to many years occupying the same office. 

He has been a coach and a mentor for me and I know I am a better instructor because of his input. We've both watched the Norco campus, not a college back then, grow from two buildings to more now than I can count. 

We shared an office the season I was living through the hell of my dad having cancer and dying; months later, we still shared an office when Arend's father died. 

Mr. Fun and I attended Arend & Jackie's wedding, and we have attended baseball games with the two of them. Jackie is a lovely woman, and they are a fun couple. One summer we all met on the shore of the Mississippi River in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, as they were traveling by car to Ohio and we were traveling by riverboat to Minneapolis. 

This past Christmas when I neglected to send them the annual Funville Christmas Letter with photos; he let me know it had been missed. 

I've known many people in my lifetime, but my list of friends is very short, and Arend is definitely on that list. I grew-up in a neighborhood of boys. Basically, I'm a tom-boy, and I'm most comfortable with guys (and the females dislike that -- so I've had few girlfriends). Sharing an office with Arend was comfortable. 

And I'll be forever grateful that he helped guide my teaching life. I'm sorry that the Flicks and Funs never managed to spend much time together away from school. Too many miles, I guess, between Norco and Pasadena.

For me, he has been a friend and a colleague like no other. There are not enough words to convey my respect for him and the deep appreciation I feel for the privilege of having him as a colleague these past 24 years. 

Like a wonderful chapter in a good book, I'm sad that it is ending. But I know the next chapter will also be good. Arend will be missed.

Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol

P.S. I am in the photo standing next to Kris; she's wearing red.

P.P.S. Everyone in the department contributed to help purchase a very expensive, very rare, first edition of a Henry James book. I think he felt very honored.