Jeanette French taught at St. Pius X High School for 23 years, inspiring the students of 1962 to 1985 with English and social studies courses that were unique and thought-provoking.

“I remember Ms. French as always dignified and consistently engaged with her students,” says Vera (Sanchez) Liljestrand ’84.

“Her no nonsense approach to teaching made me a student who was interested in learning about history, current affairs, social economics, and English,” says Regina Arrigoni ’73.

Remembered by her students as highly intelligent, innovative and caring, French devoted her life to her students and profession.

“(S)he inspired me to pursue a career in the Federal Government, resulting in a 27 year career as a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF),” says Mike Bukovak ’76. “I thought about Ms. French often over my career.”

“I believe we all have a favorite teacher from the past, someone who left a mark that would last for 50 years, someone who told us we had potential and made us believe that,” says Craig Domme ’66, who was inspired to keep a journal during his time as a Green Beret during the Vietnam War. “Ms. French did that to me, inspired me, and many others besides me for years and years at St. Pius.”

Ending her career at St. Pius X in 1985 as head of the Social Studies department, she went on to work as an inspirational tutor to students with special needs at Albuquerque T-VI. She passed away in 1998.

“For me, she represents the best of Pius,” says Ina Miller, French’s friend of 25 years and fellow SPX teacher and counselor. “Her intellectual curiosity, her compassion, her academic and moral standards, her love of teaching, her devotion to her students — all of these qualities were examples for us as colleagues and students. Pius was a better place for her having been a part of it.”

In 2020 in honor of Miss French’s impact, we have gathered a number of memories from former students and colleagues and are publishing them below. In addition, a group of alumni have established an endowment initiative to create the Jeanette French Endowment at $30,000, with $10,000 already raised. The endowment will support tuition assistance for students through the St. Pius X High School Foundation. 

Will you honor Miss French by helping the initiative to reach the $30,000 goal? Donate now by clicking here and selecting “French Endowment” in the “Designation” dropdown menu. You can mail a donation payable to St. Pius X High School Foundation, 5301 St. Joseph’s Dr. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120 and note “French Endowment” in the memo line.

Memories of Miss French

From former SPX French teacher and counselor Ina Miller

Occasionally, someone comes into my life who makes a permanent impression and who is not only a colleague but a treasured friend. That kind of person, who came into my life in 1973, was Jeanette French. That fall, I joined the faculty of St. Pius as a counselor and French teacher. She was the chair of the Social Studies department, so initially we had contact at faculty meetings. I realized very quickly that she was a person I wanted to know better and who could become a valued friend.

That was not an easy task, as she was a very private person. She was always cordial and pleasant, but it took time and effort to get to know her well. I had the privilege of being her friend for 25 years. She passed away from cancer in 1998. When I picture her, I see an elegant, gracious woman with a superior intellect and an unending dedication to her students and her school. She was also devoted to her mother and to her close friends like me. Since she didn’t drive when we met, I spent a great deal of time with her talking in my car. We discussed many subjects apart from school and students. She was an avid reader, and I looked forward to her recommendations of books I would enjoy. She was highly aware of current events here and abroad and kept me and her students informed.

Her dedication to the school went beyond her faculty responsibilities. She initiated Project Pius in the 1970s, when the school was having financial difficulties. The students and parents were diligent fund raisers, but she was the driving force. She was even present at night at the 24-hour teeter-totter fund-raising marathon. That event caused a great deal of attention in the community as well, as television crews gave the students very positive publicity.

Students saw her as a role model. While she had a soft voice, making it difficult sometimes for students in the back row to hear her, those who had the privilege of being her students realized that it was to their advantage to pay attention. She had perfect diction, perfect poise. Perhaps without realizing it, students were also learning how to present themselves

I remember an exercise she used in her senior civics class. Students had to “get married” and learn how to plan a budget. They had to decide what jobs they would have, so they could understand managing household finances. I was involved in a small way because the students had to research  current jobs, salaries, advancement opportunities, working conditions and educational requirements. So they came to the guidance office to use our resource materials. Then she would ask the “couple” to plan a weekly menu, indicating costs of food items. She knew a great deal about nutrition and would comment on the food values and diet. She would also present the students with a challenge — a new roof, a car repair, etc. — that was not planned for in the original budget. Students would report in later years that this was one of the most important learning experiences they had at Pius.

In the words of one student: “I can’t explain what it was about her presence that was reassuring and soothing and calming, but you couldn’t help believing that the world was good with her nearby. She is today my best example of ‘saying more with fewer words.’ This came through in both her speaking and her writing, and it helped us all immensely.  When she wrote on an assignment ‘You can do better’ — she was saying many things at once. The most important part was the ‘uplift’ leading to ‘Yes I can’ and then to ‘For her I want to.’ “

She had unique ideas that, fortunately, she was able to implement. For example, she ran a zero-hour class on planning for the future of Albuquerque, bringing in city officials to instruct the students in the infrastructure of city government. She also had a section of U.S. History that was connected to a speed-reading program.  

For me, she represents the best of Pius. Her intellectual curiosity, her compassion, her academic and moral standards, her love of teaching, her devotion to her students — all of these qualities were examples for us as colleagues and students. Pius was a better place for her having been a part of it.

From Regina Arrigoni ’73

What can one say about Miss French? As a former student I feel she epitomized the role of a perfect educator. With her meticulous attire — always dressed in a monochromatic suit with matching heels, handbag (like the queen of England), perfect hair and red lipstick. She never fraternized with her students, but was always available to answer pertinent questions about the subjects she was teaching. Her no nonsense approach to teaching made me a student who was interested in learning about history, current affairs, social economics, and English. I only hope students today and going forward have an opportunity to be taught by a person similar to Miss French. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to be a student of hers. Here’s to you Miss French — many blessings.

From Vera (Sanchez) Liljestrand ’84

I remember Ms. French as always dignified and consistently engaged with her students. She prepared her students for real life with focused attention to detail. I still remember when she taught us how to properly write a check so someone could not change the amount. I have carried many of her lessons with me for the past 30 years. Ms. French went out of her way to notice and compliment even the quietest students. I remember her with much gratitude.

From Mike Bukovac ’76

I took Civics with Ms. French, and the class included everything you needed to know about the U.S. Government.  She taught us about all of the Departments and Agencies and how they interact with Congress, the Courts, and the President. She taught us about Presidential elections and how the Electoral College works. I wonder what she would have thought about our last Presidential election. With this, she inspired me to pursue a career in the Federal Government, resulting in a 27 year career as a Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). I used what I had learned from Ms. French when I was assigned by ATF to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters in Ottawa, Canada (1994/95). My job there was to convince the U.S. Ambassador to Canada that ATF needed a full-time presence in Canada. While attending Law Enforcement conferences throughout Canada, I made presentations that included information about the U.S. Government and how ATF fit into the “big picture” of the U.S. Government and Law Enforcement. I utilized what I had learned from Ms. French in these presentations. My tenure in Canada resulted in an ATF Office at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, and has since expanded to include Toronto and Vancouver. I thought about Ms. French often over my career in the U.S. Federal Government.

From Craig Domme ’66

During my sophomore year 1963, while still somewhat malleable, two women got their hands on me and tried to teach me two important things, the English language and how to type it.  While Sister Ann helped us master the old Royal manual machines, Ms. French taught us how to read and write the language, but most important of all, to appreciate it and get good at it. I believe we all have a favorite teacher from the past, someone who left a mark that would last for 50 years, someone who told us we had potential and made us believe that. Ms. French did that to me, inspired me, and many others besides me for years and years at St. Pius.

One of my claims to fame is that I’ve published two books and am working on a third. I’m very proud of that accomplishment, deeply grateful to my editor and graphic artist, but that mild success story started a long time ago, back to Ms. French’s English classroom. I’ve written all my life starting in high school, poetry, and prose, a diary that evolved as I did all through the hippie years until Uncle Sam decided I should be a soldier in 1969. The notebook filled up the right front field jacket pocket of my uniform, three stripes on the sleeve, a binder that ended up being six inches thick, and recounted how I became a Green Beret as the Vietnam War came to an end. Finally, our uncle decided he didn’t need us anymore, which was a good thing at the time.  The military and all those soldiers went back to what they were doing before all that.

Almost sixty years later, I finally arrive at this sit down tonight, and I’m thinking back on that sweet lady.  I’m quarantined in a sense like everyone else, with an assignment of sorts, would I please write a few brief paragraphs about one of my inspirations. I should have mentioned her name when I was writing my acknowledgments for the first two books, but now (if I can remember), I will do just that in the next one.