50th High School Reunion Students Reconnect With Sixth Grade Teacher

"It was lighting up my intellect with him. He was one of those teachers you'd never forgot. From that point on, I remember loving learning," Sherman Oaks resident Barbara Bloom said as she reflected about her Erwin Street Elementary School sixth grade teacher Irv Lane.

Bloom, along with nine other former sixth grade students from near and far who attended Grant High School's 50th reunion last weekend, met with Mr. Lane, 87, at Daily Grill in Studio City for their own mini-reunion of sorts.

From swim days at Joyce Spezman's (now Spezman-Margolin), to the storied match-ups with the kids playing kickball, to playing Harry Belefonte, opera and other cherished music in class, Mr. Lane was known by his students as inspirational, a rebel and inclusive of everyone.

"He taught us square root in the sixth grade," said Spezman-Margolin, of Santa Barbara. "He pulled tricks on us and other teachers. He's one of the reasons I became a teacher."

Pat Overstreet-Metzler, of Anza, fondly remembers Erwin Street Elementary School and added that she recently reunited with her high school sweetheart after they both had respective marriages.

Overstreet-Metzler recalled the time Mr. Lane ignited her passion for singing and encouraged her by driving her to his sister's house to keep practicing.

"He made you feel like you were his only student in class," she said. "That's how he made us feel."

Don Littlefield, a retired CPA from Austin, TX, said Mr. Lane was like a father figure to him since he lost his the year before starting sixth grade, moving from Missouri to California. He recalled Mr. Lane's skills at playing softball.

"His goal was to hit it over the fence," Littlefield said. "He'd get upset when I struck out his girlfriend."

Mr. Lane's girlfriend was a fellow colleague during his early years at Erwin Street Elementary. He came to Erwin Street in 1952 and left in 1957 for Parthinea Street Elementary School in North Hills. In 1962, Mr. Lane took an exam for the Child Welfare & Attendance division of the Los Angeles County Office of Education.

"I was the only non-social worker who made the list," Mr. Lane said. He worked at three junior high schools and two high schools in downtown L.A. Lane learned various students' behaviors, including why some chose not to show up to class.

"And every once in a while, you'd reach them," he said.

Later in his social working career, Mr. Lane was instrumental in helping facilitate conversation between students, their parents and school administrators about teen pregnancy.

At the lunch Oct. 19 in Studio City, Mr. Lane's former students all shared their stories, including a well-kept scrapbook of moments from their time in sixth grade.

Sharon Steinfeld-Wexler, of Chatsworth, serves on the 50th year reunion committee for Grant High School and said she was wonderful they got to have the mini reunion with Mr. Lane. It's one thing to return for a high school reunion to find your teachers from your time still living, yet it's another thing when your elementary school teacher is still alive, she noted.

"My grandkids are still glad you're alive," joked Bob Oatley, of Long Beach, to Mr. Lane.