Helen Marie Gaydos Merzbacher

It gives me great pleasure in saying Mrs. Merzbacher was a great influence on my life. As a young student at Dana Junior High in the late 1940’s, my academic accomplishments were little.
The school counselor advised me that I would need to take a class in typing. I had no idea what this meant but attended the class as required. The first day in class Mrs. Merzbacher made it clear that following her direction we would not only learn to type, but would be able to use this skill in much...

Our mother basically forced my brother Bob and me to take typing in junior high school, so that we would be promised successful college educations! I guess that this happened. It also meant that I didn't learn essential business skills from Helen. I knew her more as a neighbor than as a teacher . She and her husband had no children, and flattered my brother and me by treating us as very special kids. I remember that they always had a lot of great food to offer us! I also remember Helen as...

Our mother basically forced my brother Bob and me to take typing in junior high school, so that we would be promised successful college educations! I guess that this happened. It also meant that I didn't learn essential business skills from Helen. I knew her more as a close neighbor than as a teacher . Her husband taught with my father at San Diego State.
They had no children, and flattered my brother and me by treating us as being very special kids. I remember that they always had a...

I was so sad to learn of Mrs Merzbacher's death. I graduated from Crawford in 1968 and was also in Mrs. Merzbacher's shorthand classes. What a wonderful lady she was, we always lovingly caller her Mama Mertz because of her kind and nurturing ways. When she went to Clairmont HS as a counselor, she worked with my mother, Hazel Keeyes, who was the registrar. I had many nice visits with Helen and took both my children for her to meet. The next time I saw her was in the 80's when I ran into her at...

Not knowing until today, Feb. 22nd, of Mrs. Merzbacher's death, I was just telling my husband last night about what a wonderful teacher she was, and how I enjoyed her class at Crawford High in 1966. She was truly an inspiration to most of her students,myself included. My sympathy to her family, may all your wonderful memories of her sustain you throughout these days of grief. Judy Anders, Borger, Tx.

Mrs. Merzbacher was the finest teacher I had at Hoover High. I was in her Business English class 1953-54, the only male in a class of 30. She wrote in my Dias Cardinals, "Good Luck. You were a stout-hearted man to weather the storm among these girls for a whole year." I remember the Saturday party she hosted at home as she proudly showed off her newborn son, and the field trips to banks on El Cajon Blvd. Her lessons helped me immensely in college (AMS president and AS vice-president); Navy...

I also was a student of Mrs. Merzbacher at Crawford High School. She was a wonderful teacher and a beautiful person. She had such a warm and caring personality and an excellent sense of humor. I am saddened to hear of her passing. My sincere condolences to her family. I am sure it must comfort them to know of the impact Mrs. Merzbacher had on so many lives.

I was saddened to read of the death of Mrs. Merzbacher. My deepest sympathy to her sons and their families. Mrs. Merzbacher was my shorthand and Business English teacher at Crawford High School in 1961-63. The secretarial skills I learned from her were invaluable to me, I supported myself and my two children with those skills. I am so grateful for the wonderful person and teacher that she was and I will remember her fondly with love and much respect.

I offer to Ms. Merzbacher's family my deepest condolences for the loss of this wonderful woman. I was her student at Crawford High School and enjoyed her as a person and a teacher. She taught me skills which enabled me to work at a job which supported myself and my daughter for many years. Without those secretarial skills, I could not have survived in the fields I was employed. Her kind ways and great smile will always be remembered. It is obvious by what was written in the newspaper, that...