The cafeteria was eerily quiet the morning I arrived to interview Mary Spicer. The sun hadn’t revealed itself from behind the clouds, leaving the room shrouded in shadows between the fluorescent emergency lights. With no students having arrived yet, the only sound was the clangs of pots and trays from behind the heavy wooden doors, where the Centennial cafeteria staff was hard at work preparing lunches for the students. The well-oiled team maneuvered through the kitchen, light chatter bouncing between them as they pulled out trays and discussed the options on the menu for the day. The routine was like any other day, the only thing missing was one caring, kind, smiling face.
Our beloved Centennial cafeteria staff member, Roseanna Bewley, passed away on July 15 at the age of 70. Belwley’s memory survives on with her husband, three children and grandchildren. As well, she is survived by her two brothers and her younger sister, our very own Mary Spicer. Spicer, who is the manager of Centennial’s cafeteria, worked alongside Bewley for 21 years. Spicer allowed me to speak with her about her elder sister, which brings me back to that eerily quiet morning.
Spicer led me back to her small tiled office off the corner of the kitchen and offered me a seat with a polite smile. With her hands clasped over her black apron, Spicer emanated a certain warmth and kindness that immediately put me at ease. This trait seems to be genetic as I am quick to learn that her sister was infamous for radiating that same energy.
Both Bewley and Spicer started working in food service in 1996. Previously, Bewley worked as a beautician, then a babysitter, while Spicer worked as a floral designer. After a recommendation by their sister-in-law, they submitted their applications and Bewley was assigned to Centennial High School; Spicer was assigned to Centennial Lane Elementary just down the road.
After about five years at CLES and two years at another school, Spicer joined her elder sister at Centennial in the manager role. Spicer chuckled as she remembered telling her sister that she was going to work with her and Bewley promptly hanging up on her upon hearing the news. Nevertheless, the sisters worked alongside each other for over a decade, with their relationship only growing stronger as they got older.
“We were like peanut butter and jelly,” Spicer said with a nostalgic smile. Having a sister myself, I returned a similar smile.
Even when they were younger, Spicer and Bewley were joined at the hip. The sisters’ mother worked during the day and their father worked at night, meaning that Belwey was her primary caretaker.
“She taught me everything,” Spicer said. Bewley treated the students of Centennial with similar care with Spicer mentioning that she had her “special ones” and came to the job for the kids. Bewley kept special treats for the students for their birthdays or Christmas and greeted every child with a smile.
Centennial senior, Joseph Kim, recognized this kind spirit in Bewley. “She took the extra care to make school lunch feel like home lunch.”
Spicer highlights the importance of being kind and empathetic when it comes to a job like food service because “we don’t know what the kid’s home life is like.” Bewley wholeheartedly embodied that empathetic and caring spirit and brought that into the kitchen everyday. “She took care of everybody else before she thought about herself,” Spicer mentioned with a touch of sadness in her tone, adding that it was devastating to tell students that Bewley had passed when the school year started.
Spicer insists that even though Bewley’s physical presence isn’t here this year, she carries her sister with her. “When I’m kind of messed up I always think ‘ok what would Roseanna do.’” Spicer reminiscences as she gestures to the space around her neck where she carries a necklace with her sister’s thumbprint. “I see her when the kids come through, I remember what she’s done so I try to do what she did.”
Bewley’s 21 years of dedication will never be forgotten by the Centennial staff, the students, and the community as a whole. As I left the cafeteria that quiet morning, I left with a realization. Behind those heavy wooden doors there was more than just a lunch being served – it was a home, a safe space, and a smile. Roseanna Bewley’s memory will forever live in every lunch and every smile that is served within the walls of Centennial High School.
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