Community remembers longtime Sisler principal
George Heshka died on March 25
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This article was published 01/04/2021 (1839 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
George Heshka was known for believing in his students and staff, past and present, at Sisler High School.
If it weren’t for the longtime principal, Jeanette Reyes, of the class of 2016, wouldn’t be in university right now; Cheryl Grenick, a 1982 graduate, wouldn’t have pursued a career in education; and Nancy Dionisio wouldn’t be the teacher she is today.
Heshka, 87, led the North End school for more than 40 years. He died on March 25 of complications related to liver and stomach cancer, just days before students and staff departed for spring break.
High school was the last place Reyes wanted to be. Disinterested in her studies, she’d make trips to the office to watch the daily commotion of running a secondary school, until one day Heshka noticed her. Reyes said that’s when their friendship began, and she started to regularly seek advice from her new mentor and confidant.
“(He said) you can love learning, but you can hate what you learn. So choose what you want to learn,” Reyes, who is studying performance production at Ryerson University in Toronto, recalled.
“He inspired me to go to university and do what I wanted to do.”
Heshka became Sisler’s principal in 1980 when Grenick was in Grade 10. “He immediately showed interest in all of the students,” she said.
Results from a career test back then suggested Grenick pursue a career in cosmetology or fashion. But in the back of her mind, something didn’t sit right.
“That wasn’t where my heart was,” Grenick said. “So when I got the results from the test, it took me about a week or two to really digest all the information and sort out where I was going to go next.”
Grenick showed the results to Heshka, who encouraged her to chase her passion — education.
“It wasn’t until that conversation that I had with him that sort of gave me that strength and confidence to know that I could do it,” she said.
After Grenick obtained her degree in education from the University of Winnipeg, she returned to Sisler to surprise Heshka, who embraced her when he heard the news. “He was so proud. And I know he did that for a lot of other students as well.”
Dionisio hadn’t even graduated from university yet when Heshka hired her in 1995. Under the principal’s leadership, Dionisio grew as a professional and became the head of two departments.
“I would not be the teacher and department head that I am today without George Heshka’s trust, leadership, and his vision for Sisler High School. Like many other staff members would say, he always had my back and trusted I would do the right thing,” she said.
Heshka fostered a sense of community at Sisler. In 2016, after alumna Jemison Valencia’s family home burned down, the school rallied together to raise money to cover expenses. Heshka personally matched the donations, according to Valencia.
“Dr. Heshka cared about all of his students whether current or previous. He cared about the North End community, and he made the city of Winnipeg a better place to be. He believed in students who had a difficult time believing in themselves,” she said in an email.
Sisler was Heshka’s “castle,” said Barry Hudson, an essential math teacher. The principal was often at school six to seven days a week and was usually the first to arrive and the last to leave.
In 2004, Sisler was featured in Maclean’s magazine for its award-winning teachers and innovative programs. The publication named Sisler a leading high school in Canada, thanks to Heshka’s leadership.
He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and the Order of Manitoba in 2013 and received an honorary doctor of letters from the University of Winnipeg. In 2018, the City of Winnipeg renamed Burrows-Edward King Park after him.
“When we heard Thursday morning that he passed away, I’ve never seen such a solemn, sad place,” Hudson said. “There’s never, ever going to be another person that dedicates the time that he did.”