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It’s the end of a legacy for two well-known Ramstein High School teachers. Language arts teacher Maureen Grossheusch and JROTC instructor Maj. Donald Bradley will retire at the end of the semester.
“Maureen will be remembered for her great energy, her willingness to lend a sympathetic ear to anyone who needs it, her friendship and her constant positive attitude,” said teacher and colleague Heather Fink.
Fellow educator George Bradley said Donald Bradley will also be sorely missed.
“Donny will be missed here at Ramstein as family, a friend and a colleague who made the most of his time in Germany by learning to speak German and being prepared for any adventure that came along,” George Bradley said.
Grossheusch will retire this year after 26 years of service. She began her career at Pirmasens American School in 1987 where she taught special education, third grade and language arts. Grossheusch said she felt she had gotten a dream job and won the lottery for the spiritual and social experiences that teaching military students brought. Later, she taught seventh and eighth grade language arts at Ramstein Middle School until 2005 and has spent the remaining seven years at Ramstein High School teaching ninth and 10th grade language arts.
Grossheusch, always an advocate for outdoor education, passionate about bringing out the best in all her students and having fun in everything she does, sponsored trips for 12 years to the Hinterbrand Lodge until its closing. Modestly, Grossheusch said she has learned way more from her thousands of students than they have from her.
“Maureen has always been there as a colleague when I need a teaching idea or to blow off steam and lend a sympathetic ear or (and most importantly) just need to laugh,” said teacher and colleague Deb Mol.
Donald Bradley said it seems like just the other day that he got to Ramstein, though it was actually six and a half years ago.
Donald Bradley has a total of 27 years teaching Air Force JROTC cadets around the world. Before coming to Ramstein he taught AFJROTC for seven years at the Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla. This was followed by 10 years at Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Fla., and four years at Edgren High School in Misawa, Japan.
In addition to serving as an JROTC instructor and gold coach, Donald Bradley served 20 years of active duty for the U.S. Air Force. Most of his Air Force career was as a navigator where he flew six different aircraft around the world and accumulated more than 7,000 flying hours.
“It was refreshing to work with a guy like Major Bradley, who had such an affable personality,” said fellow JROTC instructor Thomas Speller.
As Donald Bradley finished his final days at RHS, he said he wishes to thank RHS teachers and staff for being his friend, and to cadets and students, “Another day, another A.”
