Local Retired Teacher With Cancer Ready To Take the Next Step

After being diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer and 30 years of teaching, local teacher Andrew Astrom is going from the classroom to the real estate world.

Astrom has played high school football with NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights insider and Peterborough native Gary Lawless. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

Astrom discovered his cancer on May 4 and had surgery on Aug. 5 where his thyroid and several lymph nodes were removed. He has lost most of his voice, has side neck pain and suffers nerve pain when he eats.

He retired from Holy Cross Secondary school in late December after the fall semester of last year following a 20-year tenure. He made his decision due to his cancer and influence from his recently retired colleague Andre Metivier.

Astrom retired from Holy Cross taking with him a lock, pictures of his sons and a Rubik’s cube. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

He spent his first five years teaching in Lindsay then worked at Immaculate Conception School in Peterborough for another five. The rest of his tenure was spent at Holy Cross teaching a variety of subjects but with a focus on social sciences.

"There were some tough days in education but most of it has been great,” reflected Astrom. “The kids you meet, the colleagues you have, just the added experiences of sports and all of those things. It's been an amazing run.

Astrom with his wife Tammie have three sons together with two of them as collegiate quarterbacks. Photo courtesy of Andrew Astrom.

Astrom is following in his wife’s footsteps as a real estate agent with Bowes & Cocks. He is close to having full certification as the next step of his life. He says he refuses to let his cancer hold him down from being a functional member of society.

“I've just said it's time to get going here,” remarked Astrom. “I'm not a good victim, I'm not a good patient so I had to find a way for me to get back to being useful.”

Astrom is scheduled for a follow-up surgery at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto later this year.

Some of his hobbies include woodworking and playing guitar. He has been the offensive coordinator for the Holy Cross football team during the school’s second season in 2003.

After 30 years of teaching, Astrom says he will miss all the students he has met over the years.

“I will always love being in front of kids,” he said. “There’s a lot of kids that have connected with my style and my personality and a lot who didn’t. I don’t take it personally but I will miss all the kids.”

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Beloved Teacher Receives Video Montage Congratulating Their Retirement

It was a heartfelt moment for the now-retired supply teacher Wadsworth Kulatungam as he received a video montage from former students, friends and coworkers congratulating his retirement sent Wednesday.

PTBOCanada Editor David Tuan Bui with Wadsworth Kulatungam circa 2008 and 2021. Bui was a former student of Kulatungam periodically as a supply teacher since 1998. Photos by David Tuan Bui

Kulatungam — better known as Mr. Wadsworth — said he was touched when he was surprised by the 34 people that congratulated him on his retirement of the video montage.

"It was sort of overwhelming looking at it,” said Kulatungam. “It was quite emotional too.”

He retired in December 2020 after 25 years as a supply teacher. He retired citing that it was his time and he wanted to leave on a good note.

The montage was started by former colleague Colleen Crawley, English teacher at St. Peter’s Catholic Secondary School. It was Kulatungam’s last place of employment.

She started an open campaign on Facebook to allow anyone to send video clips of their well-wishes to Kulatungam.

“He is so well-loved by students and staff alike that I always imagined his retirement would call for a big celebration,” said Crawley. “Since the pandemic did not allow this, I decided to make the group video to allow people the opportunity to wish him well.”

Colleen Crawley’s recruitment of people to give videos to Kulatungam was shared 89 times on her Facebook post alone. Photo Courtesy of Colleen Crawley.

Kulatungam believes his attitude is what resonated with the students and staff. Telling jokes and smiling is what helped keep everybody positive he said.

“Never put down anyone,” explain Kulatungam. “Everyone has their talents, good and bad. None of us are perfect. I don't think any student is useless. I don't use that word at all. Everyone has capabilities and goodness in them. That was my philosophy. Criticism doesn't carry you anywhere.”

Kulatungam was a teacher and a vice-principal in his home country of Sri Lanka until he immigrated to Canada in 1993.

He is the second oldest of five children with an older brother and his sister as the youngest. Kulatungam says he will spend his spare time either reading or gardening.

"Don't be shy about being wrong,” said Kulatungam.

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