Remembering Dot Kannard

How else could you describe a woman who served the school from 1959 through 2008 as a trusted and valued member of the Lower School cafeteria staff and from 2008 until she retired for good in 2010 as a compassionate caregiver in Cougar Care?

It wasn’t her longevity, though, that earned her respect bordering on reverence from those who knew her. It was her dedication, not just to her job but to the children and adults to whom she ministered. It was her work ethic, caring nature, unwavering positivity, and unflappable demeanor (among many other attributes) that endeared her to others. 

Clichéd as it might sound, to know Dot Kannard was to love her. 

Serving Collegiate was important to her, that’s for sure, but her greatest accomplishment was much more personal.

When her grandsons, R.T. and Ryan Taylor, were very young, Dot and her husband Arthur became their legal guardians. Well into their 40’s, they took the into their home, raised them, provided love and discipline, and taught them to be self-sufficient, upstanding citizens.

This past Sunday morning, Dot slipped peacefully away after a period of declining health. She was 89 years old. In the days that followed, several colleagues who shared the Collegiate journey with her offered thoughts and reflections about Dot’s legacy.

Dot was always a cheerful person and a stalwart friend.  She was a cheerleader and encourager for everyone at Collegiate whether it was a child that she was aware was having some difficulty or a teacher who was going through a hard time in her personal life. She always had faith in people and felt that goodness would prevail. She was with you every step of the way.  If you had Dot Kannard for a friend, you were well fixed for life.  She was a remarkable woman.
     ~Laura Hall, retired Lower School nurse

Dot was such a dear, dear lady who loved Collegiate with all her heart.  She truly enjoyed hearing the stories our Lower School children shared with her each day as they came through the lunch line. Many times, she would find me to check on a child if she had a worry or concern or just to share a sweet interaction. Her love for her family and Collegiate came up in every conversation. She was a special lady.
     ~Debbie Miller, head of the Lower School

Dot had a genuine warmth to her. She greeted every child by name who came through the lunch line in Burke Hall.  She loved to check in with other faculty and staff about their families. Dot made time for people. In her own modest way, she was a true ambassador for Collegiate. 
   ~Susie Leahy, Lower School teacher and librarian

What I remember about Dot Kannard was coming into the cafeteria and seeing the warmest smile and a real quick gait as she walked to-and-fro, always helping to find something or get something for a child or an adult. I remember her can-do attitude. Later on, I remember (my daughter) Elle Garnett going into Cougar Care at the end of Nunnally Hall and Dot gathering up the babies of so many Lower School teachers and rocking, singing, talking, (and providing) a lot of warmth and love from the eyes and the hands and just loving on our babies as we opened the doors and walked down the hall to our classrooms to start our day teaching others. 
      ~ Heather Garnett, fourth grade teacher

Dot Kannard set a beautiful tone for the children who came through the serving line in old Burke Hall. She was like a grandparent to each of those kids. She got to know them. They got to know her. She called them all by name. She loved working in the cafeteria. She loved Collegiate.
      ~ John Moreau, retired coach and Middle School physical education teacher  

The cafeteria was Dot’s place. When you walked in, you knew you were going to get good food, of course, but more than that, you knew you were going to see a smile and see somebody that knew you. She always welcomed the children, and they felt comfortable and at home when they saw her. It was almost like seeing your grandmother. She always seemed to be “on.” think of her smiling and always being cheerful.
      ~Robby Turner, kindergarten teacher

Dot Kannard was a very energetic person, very active, loving, and sociable, especially with new people.  She was very dedicated to her job and to Collegiate, a team player, and a real people person.
      ~Wilbur Athey, physical plant and athletic department staff

My first experience knowing and appreciating Dot was when I was a Lower School student myself. I can remember her calm and cheerful demeanor in the cafeteria. She was always helpful and so genuinely interested in me. I felt so important because Dot knew my name, and she would ask me about my sisters and parents on a regular basis. When I returned to Collegiate as a third grade teacher years later, it became abundantly clear to me that Dot knew the name of every Lower School student and cared and loved each of them as if they were her own. She had something kind and genuine to say to each child who traveled through the cafeteria line each day. She was truly one of a kind and all of us at Collegiate were lucky to be touched by her tremendous heart.  
    ~Emily Oney, Lower School reading specialist

Dot Kannard was the heart and soul of Burke Hall. She was a part of the life of the Lower School for over 50 years. She knew the children by name and knew their siblings and even their parents in some cases. Dot would lean over and share a smile and a word of encouragement or suggest a new food that a child might like to sample. She loved and supported the faculty and staff in the same way. She cared about our families and was always checking in with each of us to see how we were doing. My treat was always a Nutty Buddy and once in a while I would rush into lunch looking frazzled and she’d say, “Looks like a Nutty Buddy day!” She gave love to all and had a heart that could hold each of us in the Lower School. 
    ~Dr. Jill Hunter, retired head of the Lower School
  ~ Weldon Bradshaw