Wylie ISD is pleased to announce the induction of Andy Brown and Floyd and Addie Parris (posthumous) into the Wylie Hall of Honor. The induction ceremony is Friday, Sept. 16 during halftime at Wylie’s homecoming game at Hugh Sandifer Stadium.
Andy Brown
Andy Brown began teaching in 1971. He found, after focusing on veterinary medicine the first two years of college, he was definitely called to teach. Brown taught math for most of his 43-year career in education.
“I was never going to teach, but God really changed that,” said Brown. “I really wanted to ranch.”
After graduating from McMurry, he started teaching junior high boy’s Sunday school and found that was the age group he was meant to teach. In 1976, he began teaching sixth through eighth grade math in Hamlin and then eventually served as the administrator there for 6 years. He then moved to Lubbock to work as administrator at Frenship for a year. He soon realized the classroom is where he wanted to be, which he went back into when he was hired by Cecil Davis to teach fifth and sixth grade math at Wylie Middle School.
Brown said he has never regretted going back into the classroom. He said he always focused on teaching the student to be a “productive citizen” and made sure the students knew he was there for them. Brown said every class period he would shakes each student’s hand as they came into class.
“I always made an effort to teach kids and not math,” he said. “I told them when I shook their hand it meant that I love you and I’m here to help you.”
Brown was honored to be awarded the Arrow Ford Teacher of the Year Award by his students twice. He said he is often remembered by his students for playing the song, “The Greatest” by the late Kenny Rogers. Although now retired from teaching, Brown still drives a bus. He’s driven buses for 51 years and isn’t planning to stop any time soon. “I’ll drive a bus as long as I can,” he said.
FLOYD AND ADDIE PARRIS
This husband-and-wife team began working at Wylie in 1955. Floyd drove four different bus routes for Wylie, and Addie worked in the elementary school cafeteria. Floyd and Addie are the grandparents of Wylie graduates Carolyn Wallace (’70) and Rickey Parris (‘68), and the great grandparents of twins Brody and Braxton Parris. Carolyn and Rickey will represent their grandparents at the induction ceremony.
Floyd drove buses for over 28 years with 12 of those for Wylie. He retired in 1968. In all that time he never had one accident. He once told the Reporter News that “driving a bus is not a money-making deal but it is an education within itself. For out of the mouths of first and second graders come pearly words of wisdom. Anyone who loves children can get a kick out of them.”
Carolyn said Floyd was well-known with the all the students and kept them in-line when not on the bus. “He was like an unpaid counselor. Everyone loved talking to him,” said Carolyn. “If he wasn’t driving, you could find him breaking up fights at the corner store or on campus.”
Addie retired from Wylie in 1998 at the age of 82 years old. With 33 years of service in the district she was well respected. Most of that time she worked cooking and serving the students at Wylie Elementary School. Rickey said she “just couldn’t cook for a small group.” Carolyn said the students weren’t the only ones who enjoyed her cooking. “Coach Sandifer would run to the elementary school for lunch,” she said.
Rickey said his grandparents were special because of their love of children. Floyd passed away in 1968 and Addie in 2021. They were married for 46 years. “Wylie was their place,” said Carolyn. “They knew everybody – the kids, their parents and their relatives.”
By Kristen Johnson