Leslie Willard of McDonough described his former substitute teacher, Willie Varner, as “an angel God sent to walk the earth.”
Willard first met Varner in the early 1970s, when she was a substitute teacher at McDonough Elementary School. He said it meant a great deal to him when he recently reconnected with Varner.
“She was always one of my favorite teachers, and she doted on me, too,” said Willard, 54, of McDonough. “Later in life, my mother let me know that [Varner] took a special shining to me, partly because I came from a broken home. She also worked at SaveRx in the Big Star — now Food Depot — shopping center in McDonough. I always enjoyed seeing her whenever we went there.”
Varner and Willard reunited following the passing of Willard’s stepfather, Norman Wittler, on March 11. Willard, a driver for Henry County Transit, said he last saw Varner a couple years ago when he visited her at her home.
He said he has remembered Varner fondly, and that her name has come up with others he has met along the way. On one such occasion, said Willard, a female rider mentioned Shiloh Baptist Church in McDonough, where Varner is a member.
“I told her it was going to be like finding a needle in a haystack, but I knew a lady who had gone there that I always doted on,” said Willard. “All I could remember was that her first name was Willie. The rider took every bit of about one second to say, ‘Willie Varner.’”
Willard said the rider contacted Varner, who then called his office.
“I called her back, and have been to see her a few times, but not enough,” said Willard.
Willard said his mother, Beverly Wittler, later revealed more details about his family’s connection to his former substitute teacher. He soon learned that when he was a teenager, his mom regularly visited her own father at Westbury Health and Rehabilitation in McDonough.
“She went to visit her dad one day, and apologized about not being able to come by to visit more with all of the things she had going on in her life,” said Willard. “He told her that was okay, [and] there was some lady that came and sat with him and would read the newspaper to him every week. A few weeks later while she was visiting him, guess who she saw coming down the hall with a newspaper in her hand? Of course, it was Willie Varner.
“Approximately 30 years later — or about eight years ago — my stepfather was staying at Westbury recovering from a stroke,” continued Willard. “Guess who was still coming down the hall, newspaper in hand, volunteering her time, reading the paper and visiting with residents there?”
Varner is a fixture in McDonough, having lived in the same house for nearly 66 years. She will celebrate her 89th birthday on April 20.
Varner said she recently saw a notice in the newspaper about Norman Wittler’s passing and wanted to contact Willard. Varner said a co-worker of Willard’s told her that he always spoke favorably of her.
“She texted Leslie and told him that I wanted to talk to him,” said Varner. “He called me, and I said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about your father?’ I wanted to talk to him and his mother. I had sympathy for them. I didn’t even know he was sick.”
Varner previously volunteered with the local Meals on Wheels program until 2017, and is well-known in the Henry County community. She said reconnecting with Willard “meant a whole lot” to her.
“He came by my house about three years ago,” said Varner. “I was so glad to see him. He used to hang around me. His mom and dad were divorced. I took a lot of time with him. I guess I had a lot of sympathy for him.”
Varner said she always enjoys hearing from people who relay positive memories of her years in education, including Willard.
“It makes me feel good — to know that life is worth living — because something I did touched them in some kind of way to make them remember me,” said Varner. “I’m just proud to know how he grew up. He’s married now and has children. I see him being a good daddy for his children.”
Willard added that his friendship with Varner always reminds him of a popular holiday film classic.
“When I watch the movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ — which is usually several times every Christmas season — I always think of Willie Varner,” said Willard. “George Bailey was a movie character that touched so many lives. Willie Varner is the genuine article.”
