COMFORT SALE

Get Comfortable In
This Tropitone 5 Piece
Set Including:

Hillel Alumni
Honor Don Sheffield

4 High Back Chairs

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

48" Round
Glass Top Table

D

on Sheffield, Hillel Day "It doesn't matter to me what col-
School's maintenance man, or a person is as long as you are
had less than a 10 percent a good person."
chance of surviving tricky
During the years he has spent
bowel surgery eight years ago.
at the school, Mr. Sheffield has
Two weeks into his recovery, forged many friendships with the
he was well enough to be moved students. He has calmed their
from intensive care to a regular fears and shared laughs as he
room in the surgical ward at watched them grow from kinder-
Sinai Hospital. There he made gartners to graduates to parents
his first phone call, to Hillel Day of new students.
School.
It is not unusual to see him in
After updating school officials a kindergarten class, with young
about his progress, Mr. Sheffield students clamoring to climb on
requested that they 'put him on his lap and ask him questions
the school public-address system about what he does. Nor is it un-
to talk to all of "his kids."
common to see him chatting with
"I told them that I got through teachers after school.
it and that I was going to be
Ask 1983 Hillel graduate Jen-
back," he said, recalling the con- nifer (Morse) Mattler about Don
versation. "I heard the whole Sheffield and she will tell you of
school cheering."
a memory from first grade.
The students' feelings for Mr.
"I was about 6 years old and
Sheffield continue today as orga- the bus forgot to pick me up," she
nizers plan to honor the man who s aid. "My mom called the school
has spent the last 25 years of his and Don volunteered to come out
life keeping the school running. a nd take me to school."
On Sunday, June 11, an alumni
Ms. Lis met Mr. Sheffield in
group from Hillel Day School will fifth grade, four years before she
host a bagel brunch and honor graduated from Hillel, but to her
him for his service. i t felt like "forever."
"This is the first year we have
"It seemed like he had always
an honoree," said Lisa Lis, a 1974 been there," she said. "He was cl-
Hillel graduate and an organiz- w ays warm and friendly and
er of the brunch. Most of the oth- h elpful."
er alumni functions have a
While he appreciates the hou-
purpose of socializing. o r bestowed on him by the alum-
"We felt that Don was so ni , what Mr. Sheffield treasures
deserving of an honor that we m ost about the school is the way
would do this for him," Ms. Lis the kids reacted with concern and
said.
tenderness when he was ill. Chil-
Mr. Sheffield arrived in Detroit dr en from the school sent a huge
from Dayton, Ohio, in 1968 when b ox of colorful drawings and
he came to visit a brother. The h omemade cards to cheer him up.
short stay turned into a perma- H e has saved each one.
nent move, with Mr. Sheffield
"They are all very special," he
finding work at the Cadillac Mo- s aid.
for Car Division and a part-time
Despite his illness, Mr.
job as a trouble-shooter for a S heffield, 63, had no plans of re-
maintenance company. t iring then nor does he now.
One day he was sent to Hillel
"I will work as long as my
Day School to help with their h ealth holds up, hopefully for a
maintenance. Paul Himmelhoch, lo ng time," he said.
the executive director of the
He looks at his position as
school at the time, needed to fill m ore than maintaining the struc-
a position.
tur e; he sees it as a way to help a
"At that time, Mr. Himmel- child grow into a responsible, car-
hoch asked me to stay and I have in g adult.
been here ever since," he said.
"We've got to be there for
Prior to the Hillel job, Mr. th em," he said. `This is their foun-
Sheffield had limited exposure to d ation and they are our future."
Jews. His stepmother worked for
It is perhaps because of this de-
a Jewish family and he had vo tion that other businesses and
walked side-by-side with Jews in ins titutions have tried to hire Mr.
the civil-rights marches of the Sheffield away from Hillel, some-
1960s. th ing he swears will never hap-
Now, his vocabulary includes pe n.
"minyan" and "tzedakah," words
"I have had several offers, but
many gentiles do not know. m y heart is here," he said. "This
He has been a special guest is part of my family." fl
at many a seder and b'nai mitz- la For information and tickets
vah. fo r the
bagel brunch June 11 at
"I'm a people person," he said. H illel Day School, call 851-6950.

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