By: Seth Impson

They say the people who come into your life do so for a reason. Sometimes it is to teach you how to treat others. Sometimes it is to help you learn to deal with adversity. Sometimes it is simply to remind you to laugh and enjoy being alive. Theresa Greco was all these things. If you were lucky enough to know her, then you know about her mischievous smile and no-nonsense attitude. You know she could be a bit scary but that she had a huge heart. You know she left a big hole in the lives of all she touched.

Theresa was a caregiver. Whether it was being a loving mother to her sons, Dominic and Alex, or taking care of her own mother, Mary, family was very important to her. She also loved animals and had many devoted pets during her life.

Theresa was an educator. During her career, she taught at Douglas Alternative School, Southeast High School and Springfield High School. She later served as an assistant principal at Springfield High School and Franklin Middle School. She was passionate about English and theater but she was even more passionate about her students. She was first in line to support students in their activities and was not afraid to put on a crazy outfit to cheer on the Senators at City Tournament or the Falcons at the Think Pink and Go Blue games. Ms. Greco was there to celebrate successes and help students pick up the pieces when things went wrong. I’m sure many students remember walking out of her classroom or office and hearing her say, “You know better, now do better.”

Theresa was a friend. She loved getting together with her dear friends from Illinois College. She was always up for a Cardinals baseball game and was certainly the life of the party once or twice. But she was also there during quiet times, sad times, scary times, to walk beside her friends (or sometimes in front of them to clear the path). 

For myself, I personally feel blessed to have known Theresa Greco. We shared a birthday and a love for baseball. She taught me to set the bar high and not stop until I reach my goals and to always find the value in others. She was many things to many people but to me she will always be “The Greco-nator.”

“Greco, Grec, Norton (by her college friends) and Theresa…all names Theresa Greco was known by while I knew her.  She was “my person” when I needed to talk.  

We share a love of teaching students and always trying to find the best in those crazy kids!!  Theresa and I became friends when I came to SHS in the fall of 2004. We were partnered to co-teach literature. She hadn’t ever taught with another teacher, but we clicked immediately.  For anyone who has read the book, Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, you might recall the part when the main character describes her sexual assault. We hadn’t planned for that day to fall on the day one of us was evaluated by the principal, but that is what happened. I recall us looking at each other when we realized it was going to happen along with the class discussion that would likely take place, and we thought, ok…we can do this. It was a delicate conversation, but when we were done, Mr. Hoots, the principal, said we had handled it very well. We were relieved, to say the least.

Theresa was always the first person I would call when I ran into a former student and heard about how the student was doing. She was also the person I would reach out to when I wasn’t sure how to handle a situation. We could talk through a situation and problem solve to come up with options that could be tried. We often would work together to craft an email or a proposal together. It’s not easy to find someone you are so in sync with that you can finish each other’s thoughts…Theresa and I could do that.  

I miss her every day, and I still am disappointed when I can’t call her after work to share a fun story about teaching or a great conversation I had with a current or former student or parent. Theresa Greco was not only a great friend but an exceptional educator who cared deeply for students, and her absence continues to be felt by many.”

– Elizabeth Mitchell, teaching colleague and friend

 “The impact of a good teacher is something that can never be forgotten, but the impact of an amazing teacher who was your friend for years is priceless. 

      I walked into Theresa Greco’s classroom the fall of 1998, I knew at that very moment my life would never be the same. Greco’s teaching style was a lot different than most, which was why she was a favorite amongst the masses. During her lessons Greco spoke to us like we were young adults with some sense, not like children who needed to be told what to do. She held us accountable for the choices we made, and understood that we were all cut from our own unique cloth. Her willingness to help each of her students become the very best version of themselves was unlike anything I had ever seen before. She had students who never participated in class involved in classroom discussions, she differentiated everything to ensure optimal learning and she cared about each and every one of us just as we needed her to. 

     I was privileged to not only have Greco as a teacher and theater director throughout high school, but once I left the halls of SHS, she remained in contact and became my friend. She attended all of my major life events; wedding, baby showers, etc. and was always just a phone call away when I needed it. What’s funny is, I am not the only student she had this type of bond with. It seems that if you were lucky enough to have Greco rooting you on from the sidelines, she was going to be there for the remainder. And to me that’s what she did. I spoke to Theresa at the beginning of August, on my way to take my Licensure Exam for my ECE degree, and as always she was there to lend an encouraging word and root me in from the sidelines!”

– Ally O’Brien, SHS alum