To the Principal’s Office: The Life of Mr. Meagher
— A Southwick Time Machine Original | Tribute
Sylvester Lambert Meagher, Jr., married Marion Grace Chambers in a single-ring service at St. Mary’s Rectory in Westfield, Massachusetts, on November 28, 1929. For their honeymoon, they traveled to Washington, D.C. Upon their return on December 15, 1929, they made their home at 41 Pochassic Street before eventually moving to 9 and then later 42 Montgomery Street. Sylvester Jr. had to return as he was called to report for jury duty for the trial of cases of the Superior Court criminal sitting on Monday, December 23, 1929. That same year, Sylvester Jr. became manager of the grocery department at the First National Stores on Elm Street in Westfield. Marion was a telephone exchange operator. (First National Stores grew into a major New England supermarket chain. It eventually became Finast. The final Finast store closed in 1993.)
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| A First National Stores, Inc. grocery store (location unknown) as seen in 1928 |
In one of those cases, where Sylvester Jr. was the jury foreman, the West Springfield Chief of Police was indicted by a grand jury for perjury.
On January 31, 1931, Sylvester Jr. and Marion welcomed a baby girl, Kathryn. In 1933, they welcomed a baby boy. Their son, James Paul Meagher, was born at Noble Hospital on April 9. That summer, Sylvester took his family on a trip to Portsmouth, Rhode Island. A daughter, Ruth Ann, born on August 18, 1937, rounded out the Meagher family.
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| Kathryn Meagher |
Tragedy struck in 1939 when Sylvester’s father died suddenly about 7:00 p.m. on September 8. He had eaten supper with his wife and died a few minutes later. In November of that same year, Sylvester Jr. resigned his position at the First National Store. (Sylvester later became a foreman at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft.)
James Paul Meagher, who started going by J. Paul Meagher, was a standout athlete at Westfield High School, playing on the Bombers football team that captured back-to-back Peanut Bowl championships in Georgia. On New Year’s Day 1948, Westfield defeated Fitzgerald, Georgia, 25–7. The following year, the Bombers again prevailed, defeating Glynn Academy of Brunswick, Georgia, 26–20. He graduated in 1951.
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| Official Program of the 1949 Peanut Bowl |
After graduation, Meagher gained employment at Strathmore Paper Company. In 1953, he entered the Army under the Selective Service Law. On April 21, 1953, he joined seven other young men at a going-away breakfast held in their honor at the Westfield Elks Club. Preparing to leave for military service, the group received silver identification bracelets from the Elks and prayer books from another local organization. After the ceremony, they were transported to Springfield, Massachusetts, for final induction processing. (The men were the second group to be feted by the lodge following the resumption of a program that had served as a regular send-off feature during World War II.)
By July 13, 1953, Meagher had arrived at Camp Polk for training with the 37th Infantry Division, assigned to E Company of the 148th Infantry—part of the Buckeye Division. Meagher served in the military for about two years. (On July 27, 1953, the Korean War came to an end with the signing of an armistice agreement that created the Korean Demilitarized Zone or DMZ, solidifying the separation of North and South Korea. The war had begun three years earlier, on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea.)
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| Private J. Paul Meagher |
Following his military service, Meagher attended the University of Massachusetts under the GI Bill. As part of his schooling, he appears to have taught in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, before resigning in 1956 to accept a teaching position in Westfield. In August 1957, he and Miss Mary Theresa Fitzgerald, who worked at the First National Bank, filed marriage intentions.
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| Miss Mary T. Fitzgerald |
The couple wed in a double-ring service at St. Mary’s Church on August 31, 1957, with the bride wearing a formal gown of white Dupioni silk fashioned with a pearl-trim petal neckline and brief sleeves and a bouffant skirt terminating in a chapel train. Her veil was a pillbox of lace trimmed with pearls. The reception was held at Tonelli’s Little River Inn in Westfield. The newlyweds left on a wedding trip to New York State and Canada.
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| Mr. & Mrs. J. Paul Meagher on their wedding day |
The Meaghers welcomed a daughter in 1958. In June 1959, J. Paul Meagher earned a bachelor's degree in History. Earlier that year, in March, he had secured a position at the junior-senior high school in Southwick, Massachusetts, to begin teaching social studies and art in September. He later taught math and history. (Alexander H. “Sandy” Prew was the school’s principal. The school officially expanded in 1960 to become a junior-senior high school.)
That same year, Mr. Meagher’s father was elected vice-president of the Westfield Athletic Association.
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| J. Paul Meagher, circa 1959 |
Building a Career in Southwick
In 1961, Principal Alexander H. Prew announced the formation of a local chapter of the National Honor Society at the junior-senior high school. Mr. Meagher was among the faculty members responsible for selecting student members and sponsoring the new chapter’s activities. (The Anabasis Chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) is located at Southwick Regional School in Southwick, Massachusetts. This local chapter selects student members based on four core pillars: scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Membership requires a minimum 92 GPA, plus 10 service hours, and 5 tutoring hours.)
That year, Mr. Meagher was appointed baseball coach. On November 28, 1961, Mr. Meagher, Harry Syrenne, and other faculty members defeated the Southwick Junior-Senior High School varsity basketball team 44-to-39 in a charity basketball game that broke attendance records. Student Henry LaBombard was the high scorer for the varsity team with 13 points. The benefit game raised over $200, with proceeds used to purchase uniforms for Southwick teams.
By 1962, Mr. Meagher served as a judge for the second tournament of the Connecticut Valley Debating League match held on January 9.
He continued his own education while teaching, earning a Master of Education degree from Westfield State College on June 10, 1962.
In October 1967, Frederick Wolfe of Wolfe Motors, a local automobile dealer, presented Southwick’s Junior-Senior High School with a brand new car to be used in the school’s new driver education program. The program was supervised by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in cooperation with the state Department of Education. The driving instructors were Mr. Meagher and Harry Syrenne, both of whom had been certified by the RMV over the summer before the school year began. The program required 30 hours of classroom instruction, six hours of actual driving, and six hours of observation in the training car. (Classes were initially held after school hours on Mondays and Thursdays.)
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| Frederick Wolfe handing Mr. Meagher the keys to a new car, as Mr. Syrenne looks on in 1967 |
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| Driver's Education at Southwick High School with Mr. Syrenne and Mr. Meagher |
Tragedy struck again in 1969, when Mr. Meagher’s father died at St. Raphael’s School for the Blind on July 2.
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| Mr. Meagher's father - Sylvester Jr. circa 1941 |
Meagher rose steadily through the ranks. In 1969, he was named chairman of the social studies department. In 1972, he proposed to the school board the expansion of the history curriculum.
In 1974, Mr. Meagher resigned as class advisor. He beat out four others to become vice-principal under Principal Alexander H. Prew. Meagher was appointed vice-principal on December 17, 1974. Still married and a father of four, Mr. Meagher's new salary as assistant principal would be $17,997.
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| Dean T. Toepfer - Southwick school's first vice-principal |
Mr. Meagher replaced outgoing vice-principal Dean T. Toepfer who had resigned in November 1974, after ten years as vice-principal (1964 - 1974), Toepfer resigned to accept a principal job in another school district. (Toepfer's last day of employment in Southwick was December 15, 1974.)
The appointment to vice-principal forced Mr. Meagher to resign as head of the history department - history teacher Domnick Dieni was appointed to replace him in January 1975. (By contrast, Southwick school bus drivers were making $3.50 per hour. They received a $200 pay increase in 1975, bringing their hourly wage to $3.75 effective September 1.)
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| Mr. J. Paul Meagher |
Over the years, Meagher stepped in for Prew during periods of illness, including in 1976–1977 and again in 1981 when Prew was recovering from a heart attack. The School Committee, on the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Louis S. Josselyn Jr., appointed Meagher temporary principal in October 1981, with teacher Michael Camerota serving as temporary vice-principal. Those assignments were extended in March 1982 following Prew’s triple coronary bypass operation in February.
During this period, the School Committee voted on March 16, 1982, to adjust Mr. Meagher’s compensation by $7.50 per day above his regular vice-principal salary, while Camerota received $25 per day above his teaching salary. Dr. Josselyn noted the difference reflected the sizeable gap between administrative and teaching pay scales.
A District in Crisis
Meagher’s administrative years coincided with one of the most difficult financial periods in Southwick’s history.
On November 4, 1980, Massachusetts voters approved Proposition 2½, creating a significant budget shortfall that threatened the future of local schools. In preparation, Southwick shuttered Consolidated School (1981) and organized a task force to identify ways to prevent massive teacher layoffs and deep cuts to school programs. They offered a wide range of drastic measures, including a six-day school week, shuttering schools from December 5 through March 1, having double sessions for grades 7–12, consolidating school buildings, and converting Powder Mill Middle School to an elementary school for grades 1 through 6 and having students and teachers bring their own lunches.
Mr. Meagher expressed serious reservations about double sessions, citing concerns about accreditation, family disruption, and compliance with state mandates.
Although he publicly spoke out against double sessions, Dr. Josselyn proposed reorganizing Southwick High School to accommodate grades 10, 11, and 12 from 7:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and grades 7, 8, and 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., saying that it would be less painful than other proposals. His plan called for kindergarten through third grade at Woodland School. He also called for an earlier school year - starting in late August. Dr. Josselyn also proposed closing Powder Mill School and reopening Consolidated School for grades 4 through 6. (One of Josselyn’s initial plans called for closing Woodland School, having kindergarten at the high school, eliminating all after-school athletics, and firing nearly 20 teachers.)
Another proposal called for consolidating the separate school systems in Southwick, Granville, and Tolland into a regional school district. (Southwick voters narrowly defeated the measure at least twice. Granville voters overwhelmingly rejected it. Tolland voted in favor of it multiple times. Southwick voters eventually approved it, and the Southwick-Tolland Regional School District was formed.)
The 1982 Personnel Controversy
His career during this period was not without controversy.
In 1982, after Proposition 2½ took effect, the School Committee became embroiled in a contentious personnel dispute involving staffing changes, administrative placements, and the dismissal and eventual reinstatement of a Southwick High School teacher.
The committee, in a 2–to–2 vote taken with one member absent, denied a leave-of-absence extension for former Consolidated School Principal Richard Hamann. The committee needed to place Hamann in an administrative role that did not currently exist, so they fired Mrs. Bazyk, a Southwick High School Social Studies teacher.
Superintendent Dr. Louis S. Josselyn Jr., who favored Vice Principal J. Paul Meagher’s performance at Southwick High School, fueled the committee’s action when he recommended demoting Consolidated School Vice Principal Frank Vallon to fill the teaching position held by Mrs. Bazyk. (Vallon had seniority over Meagher.)
The decision sparked strong reactions. Southwick residents were outraged by Mrs. Bazyk’s firing. Vallon obtained legal counsel. In a scathing letter to Dr. Josselyn in August, Hamann sharply criticized the School Committee for acting without a full five-member vote and subsequently tendered his resignation.
In a lengthy closed-door meeting on September 7, the School Board surprisingly reversed course. Members voted unanimously to allow Hamann to retire and to restore Mrs. Bazyk to her teaching position.
Amid the financial strain, the Town of Southwick also considered renovating Consolidated School for commercial rental in an effort to raise revenue.
Student Discipline and Legal Challenge (1983)
In May 1983, a disciplinary incident at Southwick High School led to legal action involving school administrators.
Three senior students, John Reed, David DeRay, and Brian Phillips, were suspended following their participation in an incident commonly referred to as a “swirling,” which the boys did on May 19 in the gymnasium locker room. Mr. Meagher sent a letter to the boys’ parents on May 20. In it, he wrote that an “offense of this type would ordinarily result in indefinite suspension,” but he allowed the boys to stay in school due to final exams. However, the discipline barred them from taking part in the final track meet, the class picnic, and the class banquet.
The students and their parents filed suit in Hampden County Superior Court against Principal Alexander H. Prew, Assistant Principal J. Paul Meagher, and Superintendent Dr. Louis S. Josselyn Jr. The hearing was held on the day of the scheduled class picnic.
The plaintiffs argued that penalties for “swirling” were not specifically outlined under the suspension categories listed in the school handbook.
The court did not grant relief, and the suspensions remained in effect. (Records indicate additional students were involved in the incident, though only three seniors pursued legal action.)
Principal of Southwick High School
On August 5, 1985, Mr. Meagher succeeded longtime principal Alexander H. Prew as principal of Southwick High School. He was selected unanimously from a field of 36 candidates, including former principals and assistant principals. Teacher Edward F. Garvey, Jr., succeeded Meagher as assistant principal. At the time, Prew was the longest-serving principal in the state of Massachusetts.
Meagher was known for his work ethic and commitment to the school. Even as his retirement approached, he continued to advocate strongly for the school budget in discussions with town officials.
During his tenure, Meagher helped establish the Alexander H. Prew Library, which became a model for other high schools.
He also experienced the difficult side of school leadership, including attending memorial services for students lost in accidents—something he said he had witnessed too often during his career.
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| Southwick High School Principal J. Paul Meagher |
Retirement and Legacy
Southwick High School Principal J. Paul Meagher retired on August 31, 1995, ending 36 years of service to the Southwick schools as a teacher, department chair, vice-principal, and principal. At the time of his retirement, the superintendent remarked that losing Meagher was like losing a right arm.
Reflecting on his career, Meagher said,"Working with young people, it keeps you young."
“One of the joys of being a teacher and principal have been, of course, watching the kids grow into adults.” - Mr. Meagher
Mr. Meagher died on February 24, 2026, at the age of 92.
— Preserved by the Southwick Time Machine
J. Paul Meagher
April 9, 1933 — February 24, 2026
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Mary Theresa (Fitzgerald) Meagher: January 31, 1933 - November 17, 2014
Kathryn Mary “Chickie” (Meagher) Cline: January 31, 1931 - August 17, 2015
Ruth Ann (Meagher) Puza: August 18, 1937 - November 11, 2025
Both of Mr. Meagher’s sisters passed away in New Hampshire.
His sister Ruth Ann was an antiques dealer.
Mr. Vallon was active in local politics. He served Southwick in various capacities. He became a teacher at or near the same time Mr. Meagher did. Vallon was active in the Democrat party.
A fire, investigators believe was started by careless smoking, damaged a davenport at Sylvester and Marion’s home on April 9, 1949.
Sylvester Jr. routinely took his family to beaches throughout New England.
Mr. Meagher’s mother’s name was Marion, sometimes spelt Marian.
Harry Syrenne also earned his Master of Education degree from Westfield State College on June 10, 1962.
Sylvester Jr. played semi-professional baseball and was an umpire for about 26 years.
Syvester Jr. was very active in the Elks. He was elected Esteemed Lead Knight of the Westfield Lodge of Elks on March 11, 1940. John F. Meagher was elected Exalted Ruler. Sylvester was elected Exalted Ruler the following year.
Mr. Meagher was a founding member of the Southwick Education Association.
Mr. Meagher served as baseball coach, class advisor, and Driver Education instructor.
Sylvester Meagher Jr. fell ill in 1938. He was out of work for about four months.
Sylvester’s father was a salesman for the Hampden Brewery.
Mr. Meagher was chairman of the Negotiating Committie for Southwick Schools.
The smoking area was banned at Southwick High in 1978, but was temporarily reinstated when students were making a mess, dealing drugs, etc.
Mr. and Mrs. Meagher’s daughter was a substitute teacher. She also worked for Friendly Ice Cream.
When Southwick-Tolland Regional School System Superintendent Gerald R. Fortier came to Southwick, he had already heard of Mr. Meagher - "that’s how good his reputation was."
At the time, Alexander Prew was principal for about 26 years. Years later, Meagher became the school’s second principal. (Mr. Camerota joined Southwick High School in 1971) (Meagher had also covered for Prew when he was ill in 1976 - 1977)
J. Paul Meagher had a son and three daughters.
Mr. Meagher was known to work hard - from his days as a rookie teacher to leading Southwick School. Right up to his retirement, Mr. Meagher fought Fortier tooth and nail on the school budget for every penny, even knowing that he wouldn’t be there the next year. It was that dedication that made Mr. Meagher a standout.
Mr. Meagher was a member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, National Education Association, National Council of Social Studies, Western MA Vice Principal's Association, Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators Association, and the National Secondary School Principals Association.
1975:
Woodland School Principal: Louis C. Crawford
Consolidated School Principal: Richard Hamann
Powder Mill School Principal: Herbert C. Pace, Jr.
Powder Mill School Vice-Principal: Frank Vallon
Southwick High School Principal: Alexander H. Prew
Southwick High School Vice-Principal: J. Paul Meagher
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