On Wednesday, Sept. 30, the skies were gray but the mood was bright at Park View Middle School as the school community remembered the life of former faculty member Wanda DeRouin.

DeRouin spent many of her teaching years as a vital part of the staff at Park View, and it was with great sadness that the school learned she had lost her battle with cancer early in August.

At the new student welcome at the end of the summer, a local Kona Ice truck was present, and the students and staff were enjoying their shaved ice, when staff member Rhonda Marro decided it would be fun to participate in a Kona corporate-sponsored Instagram contest which requested that a photo be posted on the social media site with the #celebratelife and #konaice hashtags.

If Marro was chosen as a winner, she’d receive a #celebratelife T-shirt as her prize. Ten grand-prize winners would receive a $1,000 check.

Once the Instagram photos were posted, Kona would send out a form to fill out asking each person who posted what they would do with their $1,000 if they won.

Marro’s words were a winning tribute to her friend, Wanda DeRouin, and to the spirit of the Park View community, and are included in full below.

Marro was chosen by Kona’s corporate office as a winner, and last week, Jessica Ross, social media manager from the Kona corporation, along with Joyce Bouchard, owner of the local Kona shaved ice truck, visited Park View to formally present Marro with the $1,000 check.

“It’s so nice to see that people think about other people instead of themselves, especially on Instagram,” Ross said. “Your school does so much for the community.”

DeRouin’s husband, Leo, also joined the event, which he noted took place on the couple’s wedding anniversary.

“There have been so many signs we’ve seen – butterflies, dragonflies, feathers – but the irony of the fact that this day, our 26th wedding anniversary, was chosen as the date of this event. It’s definitely meaningful,” he said.

Ann Marie Torres, a colleague and lifelong friend of Wanda’s, agreed that her presence has been felt strongly at the school as well, starting with the very first day of school in September.

“We were all here on the first day of school when [Principal] Mike Crudale made an announcement for all of us to come down and help out with the start of the day,” Torres said. “We went down the stairs and in the stairwell was a beautiful Monarch butterfly. She loved butterflies. We said, ‘It’s Wanda!’ Don’t you know, that butterfly didn’t leave? It lingered all day, in and out. She was definitely there with us on that first day of school.”

Crudale agreed that Wanda DeRouin has left her mark on the community at Park View, and he’s pleased that Marro’s winnings will continue to help honor her memory in the days and years to come.

“She was impactful,” he said. “She was definitely someone special.”

The following is the full text of Rhonda Marro’s contest submission: 

I would love to give back to Park View Middle School located in Cranston, RI. Park View has a strong history of giving back and paying forward. We, as a school community, have helped raise funds for organizations such as Wounded Warriors, the Tomorrow Fund, Relay for Life, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, breast cancer awareness and Pasta for Pennies to name a few. As a school community, students and staff are always willing to participate in raising funds to support these causes. It is impressive to see such dedication from the youth and adults within our school community.

Lately, federal funds for school improvements have been bleak at best. We are proud of our school and I wish to honor, celebrate life, and pay it forward to Park View Middle School in honor of Mrs. Wanda DeRouin. I wish to pay forward these funds to the M & M team in order to start a Beautification Fund to improve the interior and the grounds of our school. We would use part of the money as seed money to fundraise in order make the project sustainable. To begin the beatification, the team would construct a gazebo on the outside grounds to serve as an outside classroom. Also in the plans would be to create a perennial garden to attract butterflies. These butterflies would serve as a reminder of Wandas never ending presence in our school community.

Wanda was a teacher at Park View for many years. She was a person who was full of life and passion. These passions included music, traveling, and relaxing at the beach. Wanda was an inspiration to all who were fortunate enough to know her. She always greeted everyone and every situation with a smile. She gave her time to anyone who needed it, no matter how busy she was in her own life. When faced with a dilemma or issue, Wanda would think it through and very calmly figure out a solution.

Unfortunately, Wanda’s life was suddenly cut short at age 53. News of her passing was a complete shock to all. However, from what she offered us and what she taught us about life, giving and helping others, we can go about our daily lives always thinking about what Wanda would do. She volunteered her time to various organizations to give back to those who needed help in whatever capacity necessary.