The Pewitt Family

We recently met our three grown children at the new Weicker Center to talk about why we have been so closely tied to FRA for the last 30 years. While we gathered outside to take a photograph, our grandson Beau walked by with his art class. He shouted out to us as the photographer had us lined up for the picture, “Hello, family! I love you!”

On the wall in our grandsons’ bedroom is a drawing of an old Land Cruiser their father Jeremy drew in an art class Coach Tucker created for him and one other student in whom he saw a gift and talent. Our son took that talent and developed it into a lifetime of creative development and a building career. Both of our daughters are members of the faculty and staff. Do we need to say more about why we love FRA?

The school is an extension of our family and has been since 1989, when Linda began teaching second grade at FRA. Thirty years later, members of our family still set foot on campus every day. All three of our children attended FRA. Holly, Jeremy, and Sharon graduated from FRA in the 1990’s. Our oldest daughter, Holly Pewitt Koogler, is the current assistant director of admission and her two sons, Cole and Beau, are high school students. Our youngest daughter, Sharon Pewitt Crabtree, is a pre-kindergarten teacher and her sons, Will and Parker, are middle school and lower school students. Linda retired from teaching in 2011 but still subs whenever she has the chance.

Over the past 30 years, headmasters have changed, and buildings have been torn down, replaced by new buildings, but FRA is still this beacon on The Hill. It’s wonderful how the school remains in touch with what is going on around it, evolving to meet the needs of new families seeking a superb 21st century education while keeping its small community feel. Our contributions to the annual fund and the capital campaign are a way for us to continue this family tradition not only for the next generation of the Pewitt-Koogler-Crabtree family but for every family that calls FRA home.

We delight in seeing the 12th grade football player take the hand of a kindergarten student to walk down the hall. We find it hard to express our gratitude to Coach Tucker, who provided a safe place for our children to wrestle with their faith and is doing the same for our grandsons. And we are tickled to come into the Weicker Center and grab a cup of coffee while visiting long-time friends we first met at FRA.

Every step of our past leads us to where we are today in some shape or fashion. What a blessing that so many of our steps have been on this campus.

- Linda and Jere Pewitt