Richard Franzis: Activated by U.S. Army Reserves WN File PhotoBy Jennifer Connic
One of Westport’s Staples High School assistant principals has been called up to active military duty and will be deployed to Iraq later this year.
Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon announced Monday night that Richard Franzis, Staples assistant principal who is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, has been called up to active duty.
The 51-year-old Fairfield resident and father of three, who is adviser for the sophomore class, will be on active duty for 18 months, he said.
Staples Principal John Dodig said Franzis’ last day at Staples was Friday and will travel to Pennsylvannia next week for two to three months of training before going to Iraq.
“We are sorry to hear about his leaving,” Landon said. “We wish him well.”
Board of Education Chairwoman Mary Parmelee said the prayers of the current group of students and parents are with him, but she is sure the thoughts and prayers of his former students and parents are also with him.
Dodig said he has the support of the faculty at Staples, who threw him a party on Friday.
“It was surprising,” he said. “But he said to us on Friday that he has been taking a government check for 28 years and never turned them down. Now he has to heed the call.”
A letter was sent to sophomore parents about Franzis’s departure, he said, and the class will be split among the remaining assistant principals to oversee for the short-term.
Both Landon and Dodig said school officials will hire an interim assistant principal for the time Franzis is gone from the school system.
Dean Franzis’s first year at Staples was coincidentally my freshman year. During my four years there I never met a more fair, honest, and caring person in the building. Dean Franzis would go out of his way to make sure every student felt safe and comfortable. Dean Franzis truly embodies what it means to lead a noble life; his work with the students of Staples is undoubtedly moving Connecticut, and the nation, in a good direction. I wish him the best in Iraq, and hope he’ll be coming home soon.
I couldn’t agree with Matt more. During my four year at Staples, I came to know Dean Franzis as a decent and compassionate individual. He is a pillar of Staples High School, respected by students and teachers alike. I wish him well in Iraq, and thank him for his commitment to this country.