Memorials at the Beebe School
Written and Photographed by Nancy Clover
I want to tell you about two amazing women...except—I don’t really know them. And yet, I feel like I do.
At the former Beebe School, there are two simple memorials, tributes that speak volumes.
The Carol Caceres Garden
A garden, dedicated in June 1991, honors a beloved kindergarten teacher. The bronze plaque, as you enter Beebe School, reads that she taught with gentleness and love, and inspired others with her strength, dignity, and courage.
From her obituary, we know a little more:
Carol Caceres taught in Melrose for over 20 years, at both the Franklin School and the Beebe School. She passed away on June 18, 1991, at just 50 years old after battling cancer.
But that garden says even more than the facts ever could.
It tells us she was the kind of teacher who didn’t just teach ABCs — she shaped lives. The kind of person whose impact was so lasting, it continues to grow.
Geraldine “Gerry” Petrola
Out front, near a tree, there’s a stone tribute.
It reads: “In loving memory of Geraldine ‘Gerry’ Petrola, an outstanding lunch mother whose kindness, patience, understanding, and sense of humor brightened the day of each student and staff member for the nineteen years she served the Beebe School.”
And you can almost picture her, can’t you?
Standing in the cafeteria, hairnet on, greeting each child by name. Making sure no one felt invisible. Turning an ordinary lunch period into something warm, safe, and full of smiles.
Because sometimes the people who shape a school the most...aren’t in the classroom. They’re the ones who make every child feel seen.
Two women. Two memorials. Countless lives touched.
Their impact is still here, in the memories of those who knew them.
If you remember Carol Caceres or Gerry Petrola, or have a story to share, please add it here. The city is working on a plan to preserve these memorials.
