Thursday morning, the Wheaton High School office was filled with gifts and cards for a man who has left more of an impact than he realizes.

Dale Forgey, administrative assistant at the high school, is retiring after 12 years in the post, where his positive influence on students at the district will not be soon forgotten.

Forgey is a 1975 graduate of Wheaton who has spent 60 of his 65 years either attending, coaching at or working at the district.

“Back when I was a senior in high school, there was no elementary basketball program,” he said. “I went to coach Bill Haynes and asked if I could help get a fifth- and sixth-grade basketball program started, and he said, ‘It’s all yours.’

“I helped with that until just two years ago. For 25 years, I was just a volunteer.”

Twelve years ago, Forgey was working at Wells/Hydro Aluminum, and when it sold, he was left lost.

“I was one of the last to go, and I kind of freaked out after being there for 32 years,” Forgey said. “But, God blessed me because i prayed about it, and Lance Massey, who was high school principal at the time, was taking his secretary when he became superintendent and suggested I apply for the high school administrative assistant and continue coaching basketball, but get paid for it. I prayed about it, but Lance said hurry up and decide, so I interviewed the next day and got the job.”

As he hangs his hat, Forgey said he is just now coming to realize the amount of impact he had in his position.

“Kids have been coming in and crying and giving me hugs, and there’s gifts everywhere,” he said. “I’ve been kind of a mess, too. I will miss this. But, God blessed me tremendously with this job.” Along with the physical gifts, Forgey said what really sticks is the well-wishes and honesty from current and former students.

“I’ve had players I coached over the last few years come in and tell me I never gave up on the and they appreciate what I had done,” Forgey said. “It’s satisfying to teach kids and hear that, and I say that humbly. The last three or four years, it has really stuck out. I did not realize how much I meant to them through basketball or being around them daily in the halls.

“I let God guide me because I’m nothing without him. When you let him lead the way, it all works out.”

So how does an administrative assistant have such a great impact? Forgey said he puts an emphasis on students representing themselves well, and he is always willing to listen.

“Discipline will be discipline, but I try to teach kids to be respectful to staff, their teammates, their parents and the school,” he said. “Every year, I make a speech to students about who they are representing — themselves, their families and their school. Do do that well, they have to be on their best behavior.”

A letter from another administrator noted how students go out of their way to speak to Forgey at times.

“It said when they have good news, I’m the first person they want to tell,” he said. “It said kids seek me out at basketball games just to talk about nothing and about everything, and my advice is always good and sticks.”

To get students to listen, Forgey said he has to do it first.

“Just care,” he said. “Give them time. Some kids may be starving for attention because they aren’t getting it anywhere else besides here. I don’t have a special degree, but I have a caring heart, and I want to be there.

“And, if you want to do it right, you end up spending more time than just 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Time makes all the difference, and seeing students out of the normal routine of the school day, you learn more about them.”

Forgey’s level of care for each student shines each spring at baccalaureate, when he gives individual speeches about each upcoming graduate. That role grew in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Wheaton held a “drivethrough” graduation due to social distancing restrictions, and Forgey gave individualized commencement speeches to each of the graduates.

“Tyler Willis, who is principal at Cassville now but was principal then, told me to just go say something,” he said. “I said, ‘What?’ I had spoken for a few years at baccalaureate and talk about on each student and give them a hard time. I like doing it, and years and years ago a teacher tole me that it was the best speech he had heard, and it meant a lot to each student.”

With the respect have come more employment offers for Forgey, but he has turned them down.

“I’ve had some schools reach out with spots for me, but I just want to retire and spend time with my wife,” he said. “I also want to spend time with my grandkids and do some fishing I have not been able to do for a while.”

In his final days at the school, Forgey said many have come by to say goodbye.

“I’ve had students and staff tell me how much it meant for me to be a part of their lives, and to see those students succeed is rewarding,” he said. “There’s one senior driving up now who I am really proud of. It’s humbling to be just a little part of that.”