Pour Madame
I’ve had countless occasions to remember and thank God for Madame Saddler over the last twenty years.
I decided to pursue a degree in voice and found I was required to have proficiency in languages to graduate. My choices were French, German, or Italian. Thanks to my experiences and instruction with Madame, I got through French in a snap! I was required to sing in French and transcribe French songs and operas into the International Phonetic Alphabet, and Madame had made it so easy. I don’t remember what made me decide to choose French over Spanish back in high school, but it turned out to be a fantastic decision. Maybe it was Madame’s friendly personality, and how confidently she walked down the halls and introduced herself in French to all the students she saw. Learning a language was hard, but Madame was sweet and lovable, though tough at times. She invited me to join the French club, and that was a great decision, if only for the French food! Yum!!! After two years study with her, I was blessed to be able to join her on an educational tour of France and Spain. It enriched my life immensely.
I was on the cross country team when I was her student, and once she came to one of my races. It was held on our Huntington Beach campus, and I pushed myself so hard that day I threw up in a teammate’s arms afterward. (Sorry, Robert Hatch!) Madame approached me in tears, saying that she could never run like me and wished she could, but her heart condition made it impossible. It opened my eyes to what a precious gift a strong, able body is. She was so active, and so cheerful, you’d never know she had a life-threatening condition.
I did not see much of her after I graduated, apart from the two years I taught at BCHS myself. My sisters went on one of Madame’s European tours together and had a fabulous time with her. My mother was her coworker for years. I am deeply grieved at her passing. I’m looking forward to giving her a big hug in heaven someday.