WETHERSFIELD - Last Thursday afternoon, the dining room of the Wethersfield Country Club was packed with well-dressed public officials, school administrators, and residents from more than one town.
The man of the hour: Ninety-year old John Saccente, the Wethersfield High School Security Director set to retire by the middle of the month. â€"Popsâ€, as members of the Wethersfield community affectionately call him, is somewhat of a â€"legend†in town, and today, the crowd of 165 plus people serves to illustrate that.
â€"We don’t even get this kind of turnout when we have events for the Lieutenant Governor,†jokes John Gallivan, Chair of the Democratic Town Committee and a Wethersfield High School teacher.
And for Saccente, who started at WHS-essentially a third career proceeding his service in World War II and his work with the Newington Police Department-the whole thing was a total surprise.
â€"All I knew was, they told it was Bingo and World War II trivia,†Saccente says with a laugh. â€"Then I walk into this.â€
He’s sitting at his table, and, even as the party winds down, there’s a line of well-wishers waiting for their few minutes with him. He happily takes photos with old friends and former co-workers, as he tries to pin down his favorite WHS memories.
â€"You could not fill a newspaper with all the memories I have,†Saccente says. â€"If I could write a book about them, I’d write a book.â€
Yet, Saccente doesn’t get too specific, reflecting mostly on the impact generations of WHS students have had on him.
â€"They’re all my kids,†he says. â€"They grew up with me, and I love ‘em all.â€
But family members and colleagues were happy to fill in some of their favorite â€"Pops†memories.
WHS Principal Tom Moore recalls the presentation of Saccente’s high school diploma-another surprise-during a graduation ceremony. Saccente enlisted in the military while he was still in high school, and by law, WWII veterans that joined under similar circumstances are eligible to receive the credential.
â€"That was a pretty special moment,†Moore says.
Deena Saccente, his granddaughter and WHS graduate, echoed this sentiment.
â€"I think it was something he’ll never forget,†she says. â€"The opportunity to have a high school diploma was just amazing for him, and I tear up thinking about it.â€
As for his decision to retire, â€"Pops†says that it was simply â€"about time.â€
â€"I can’t walk around like I used to, chasing after kids,†he says. â€"I’m 90 years old.â€
He says he plans to kick back and take it easy. And who knows, maybe he’ll have time to write that book after all.
â€"He’s an amazing person who has a huge heart,†Deena says. â€"He’s done a lot in his life, but I think being at Wethersfield High school is what he’s most proud of.â€