Redefining Retirement – Jay Rehak – Living Life with Vision and Laughter

Former CPS teacher, CTPF Past President, and Trustee Jay Rehak retired after an illustrious 34-year career. Day one of retirement he jumped right into projects that he always wanted to get to but could not find the time.  

During his teaching years, Jay authored the hit book series, Sideline, the story of a 12-year-old entrepreneur who helps her dysfunctional family survive. He also wrote 27 short plays and authored or co-authored 10 novels. In 2013, he created and co-authored the award-winning 30 Days to Empathy, the world’s first high school class sourced novel. His book How to Write a Class Sourced Novel is widely used in high schools throughout the United States and his TedX Talk on the subject of creating empathy through collaborative writing can be seen here.

Jay is full of vision and creativity. As he headed for retirement, he commented, “I thought about what I find personally fulfilling and how I could continue to make my ideas a reality.”  He suggests that the time to start thinking about how you want to live when you retire is before you make that transition. He says, “while everyone needs to go down their path, start by thinking about what’s next and then actualize what you can do.” Specifically, Jay is turning his website laughsaver.com into an easy-to-use app.

In Memoriam, Trustee Jeanne Marie Freed

CTPF has received confirmation that former CTPF Trustee Jeanne Marie Freed passed away on September 20, 2021, after battling several serious health conditions. She was 75 years old.  

Ms. Freed taught Spanish for more than 30 years, retiring from Lincoln Park High School in 2013, and previously worked at Lane Tech. Students loved her warmth, creativity, and zeal for the Spanish language and Latin cultures. Throughout her life, Jeanne engaged in the struggle for social justice, and was active in the Chicago Teachers Union. She was a voracious reader, a member of several book clubs, and a supporter of local theater. 

Ms. Freed was elected Teacher Trustee in 2010 and served until her retirement in June 2013. She was an active member and was on several committees including Pension Laws and Rules.  

Protect Yourself Against Medicare-Related Phone Scam

Medicare scams are a year-round concern, but this month warrants special attention. Open enrollment runs from October 1 - 31, and it's prime time for scammers to try to steal your money and identity.

Recently a distinctive robocall has bombarded many of the more than 60 million Americans who get their health care via Medicare, and AARP's Fraud Watch Network helpline has been flooded with complaints about these genetic-testing calls. It goes like this:

"Hi, this is Becky, your patient advocate working closely with Medicare. Currently, Medicare is offering precautionary genetic cancer screening nationwide and has recommended that anyone over the age of 50 be tested. These tests help to detect early signs of cancer and are covered by your insurance. If you do not act soon, Medicare may label you as ineligible for coverage. Please press 1 to speak to a specialist.…"

Redefining Retirement: Charles B. Lewis

After teaching language arts, math, and social studies for several decades at Chicago Public Schools, Charles B. Lewis retired in 1986. While at first, retirement seemed daunting to Charles. He missed the day-to-day routine that came with teaching in the classroom. After a short transition period, he fully embraced the freedom that comes with retirement and having the ability to control how he spent his time and energy.

Upon retirement, Charles picked up hobbies, held part-time jobs, and volunteered. He learned how to be proficient at table tennis, bowling, and playing the organ. He even won trophies and contests for these newfound talents. Part-time work provided him with predictability in his day, supplemented his income, and came with some perks. Some of the jobs included driving a bus for CTA during the summer, working as a clerk at Service Merchandise, and working at O’Hare Airport helping kids who had flight layovers. That particular job allowed him to travel extensively. Since he did not have to worry about the limits of vacation time, he took extended vacations to places like Hawaii and enjoyed cruises to Mexico, Jamaica, and more. He also gave back to others by taking seniors shopping and doctor appointments.

Tired of the noise in the city and exhausted from the cold weather, he and his wife of 47 years moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He quickly connected with people of all ages and continued to stay active with hobbies, jobs, and volunteering. A natural teacher, he used his hard-earned wisdom, experience, and love of his religion to teach others. He published his first book, available on Amazon, in February 2020, “Give Me This Day.”

Redefining Retirement: Dr. Gerry Haller

“Be kind and good to people. Always do what’s respectful. It brings you rewards,” says Dr. Geraldine ‘Gerry’ Haller, a former beloved and celebrated CPS teacher and principal turned author. These are the words that guided her throughout her career and now, into retirement.

Gerry’s career with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) spanned 41 years. She has received awards in the teaching, curriculum, and administrative fields, including being recognized with a Golden Apple award for teaching, by The Carnegie Foundation for her teaching work in the inner city of Chicago, and receiving the Phi Delta Kappa Award for Outstanding Principal of the Year.

Upon retirement, Gerry was invited by The Board of Education to consult with CPS teachers and principals. CPS recognized her talent in the classroom and asked her to impart her wisdom about teaching students with her unique way of teaching curriculum which she reports, “has proven successful as she took her school from #25 to #1 in five years.” As a proud wife, mother, and grandmother, Gerry also focused her energy on spending time with her family. She could be found cheering on grandchildren at hockey games or reading to them at bedtime on a Saturday night.

CTPF will Close for Independence Day