Longtime Wauneta teacher Gary Goodchuck dies

    Gary Goodchuck taught high school social studies in Wauneta for 37 years from 1960-1998.
    He died Tuesday, April 21, 2020 at the Good Samaritan Center in Hays, Kansas at the age of 84.
    One of the many honors Goodchuck received over the years was being named recipient of the 1990 Freedoms Foundation Teacher’s Medallion in recognition of his personal contribution for teaching a patriotic understanding of the American way of life.
    He was a strong advocate of the Chase County chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge (FFVF), encouraging students to apply for the opportunity to take a trip of a lifetime. He served as a trip sponsor in 1998.
    Goodchuck was well-respected for his dedication to making a difference in the lives of his students both inside and outside the classroom. A majority of his students have a story as to how Goodchuck inspired them to seek greatness.
    A 1984 Wauneta graduate commented in a post that Goodchuck was one of the best teachers she ever had in high school as well as college. “Mr. G cared about us,” she wrote. “We mattered. We weren’t just a ‘job’ to him. I felt he personally cared about seeing us succeed and having knowledge of the world, how it worked and of our history.”
    Students recall the months of preparation Goodchuck guided them through to celebrate the bicentennial of the nation. On May 31, 1976, Goodchuck donned a George Washington wig and coat and led a parade on horseback through the streets of Wauneta. Crowds gathered for the many festivities.
    Goodchuck received a standing ovation at the 1998 Wauneta-Palisade School’s alumni banquet with the announcement of an endowed scholarship in his name. Members of WPHS class of 1992 spent several months collecting contributions from former students and faculty.
    Kris Polly, a Wauneta Class of 1986 member, then presented him with framed letters of appreciation from Nebraska’s Congressional Delegation, according to a Wauneta Breeze newspaper article.
    As part of the presentation, Polly said, “He showed us the world that exists beyond Wauneta. He helped me see the possibilities that were available to me and challenged me to seek those goals.”
    Polly credits Goodchuck’s influence and his 1985 Freedoms Foundation trip to achieving goals the past 30 years in Washington D.C. Goodchuck’s challenge led Polly to a college internship with Congresswoman Virginia Smith, an American internship with Tony Blair before Blair’s tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and serving as the deputy commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation under President George W. Bush, to name a few.
    Polly’s experiences are an example of just one student Goodchuck influenced during his 37-year teaching tenure.