Duva, Long-time BMS Administrative Assistant Retires
Attendance taker and long-time BMS administrative assistant, Mrs. Maxine Duva, will be retiring this year. The community will miss her presence in the school, and she says that she will miss the laughter and fun of the students.
As the school year draws to a close and the eighth graders get prepared for high school, one of BMS’s most beloved faculty members is also set to end her time here after working at Bedford for 15 years.
Mrs. Maxine Duva, BMS school administrative assistant, is retiring this year. Her warm smile and joyous attitude in her work will be missed greatly throughout the community.
Mrs. Duva is retiring because her family has asked for her help in taking care of her four young grandchildren, a task that seems to be a perfect fit based on the nature of her close relationships with the students here at BMS. She also plans to spend her retirement traveling and vacationing.
Mrs. Duva’s history in Connecticut goes far beyond her work in school. She has been living in Connecticut for 53 years, and it is where she met her husband and raised her son. Mrs. Duva moved here after graduating high school to be close to family and for employment reasons.
According to Mrs. Duva the thing she will miss most about BMS is watching students grow. “What I will miss immensely is my interaction with the students,” she said. “They keep the office staff puzzled, entertained, and energized, and
I will miss seeing them and watching the new students coming in and their development as they progress through the grades.
— Max Duva
What many do not know about Mrs. Duva is that her time here traces all the way back to 15 years ago when she worked in the guidance department for about five or six years. Mrs. Duva switched from the guidance office to the front office because she said that she enjoyed helping organize and accomplish different tasks. “My experience has mostly been in large corporations, so a chance to integrate into the school system was refreshing and different,” she said.
Mrs. Duva will be missed dearly especially by her co-workers at the office. “I will miss her laugh,” said Mrs. Sue Bastien. “Her laugh is contagious. I will also miss her lecturing the parents and students,” she said, laughing.
Whether students are coming to school late or just stopping by in search of a lost item, Mrs. Duva’s connection to the BMS community is unmistakable. Her unforgettable service has left a major mark on our school and has made the BMS community what it is today.
