NKHS Remembers Late Science Teacher

As the school year comes to a close, remembered science teacher in a special after-school ceremony.

A mass of teachers and students gathered outside the gates of the stadium to dedicate a bench to the late science teacher who tragically passed away Jan. 1. An avid sports fan, Savella’s bench will sit at the entrance of the athletic stadium. On the bench, a plaque reads:

In memory of George Savella

Husband, Father, Friend, Teacher, Sports fan, but mostly, a Gentleman.

“He was a big bear of a man but had the personality of a teddy bear,” said fellow science teacher and friend Kathleen Crescenzo.

Savella taught at North Kingstown High School for the last 10 years after leaving his career as a landscaper. According to Crescenzo, Savella’s past experiences made him well suited as a teacher.

“He had the patience and calm to deal with [his students’] issues and became a magnet for those who were more comfortable with him than with their peers,” said Crescenzo. “I remember occasions when he would not go to lunch with the staff because some kids would rather spend their lunch hour in his room instead of the cafeteria.”

According to wife Barbara, Savella’s influence on students was recognized during his wake earlier this year when students from as far back as the class of 2002 came to pay their respects.

“I don’t think any of us appreciate how much we mean to these students,” she said.

It wasn’t just the students who she spoke fondly of, but also the teachers, proclaiming that the NKHS staff was like  “second family” to her and her family.

The bench outside the stadium and the stories won’t be Savella’s only legacies. The school, along with Barbara Savella, put together a scholarship in his memory, which the school began to hand out this year.