Piñata producers. Meatball maestros. Floral fanatics. But Deerfield students know these unique individuals as custodians. They lie behind the scenes of our dorms’ sparkling sinks and clean carpets, diligently yet discreetly attending to our common spaces, but their personal lives and hobbies remain unknown to most students.
First is Heather Johnson, who grew up in Colrain, Massachusetts and currently works in Mather and Scaife. In her free time, she indulges in arts and crafts. She recently started a new project—laminating fall leaves—for her sister. Describing the reasoning behind this new project, Johnson said “My sister lives in Colorado. They don’t fall like we do, so I’m sending her the leaves so she can get a taste of back home.”
Similar to Johnson’s interest in visual arts, Eva Carle, a custodian in John Louis who has worked at Deerfield for 18 years, has developed a niche expertise in piñata-making: “I’ve done it since 1983—since I graduated school,” she said. With her skills refined by decades of experience, she explained, she can make a piñata in three days to a week. She regularly makes them for her children’s and grandchildren’s birthdays and often takes requests from friends.
Ms. Carle’s piñatas take on various shapes, colors, and sizes, ranging from hearts and tomatoes to cartoon characters. She revealed that her next project is “a plane for [her] grandson. It’s his birthday next month.”
Next up is Ellie Tennyson, whose passion lies in cooking and gardening. Tennyson has worked at Deerfield for two decades and is currently working in Johnson, previously serving as part of the Dining Hall staff. In particular, she said, “I like making meatballs—oh, they’re so good.”
Bill Cardarpoli, a custodian in Doubleday, is among the fans of Tennyson’s cooking. Mr. Cardaropoli has a unique hobby himself: fishing. “As far as fishing, I pretty much will fish anywhere—fly fishing or regular rod fishing,” he said. He added that while he isn’t able to fish as much as he would like, he still gets to enjoy his hobby “a couple of times a month.” Mr. Cardaropoli also shared an intriguing family fact: his birthday and his son’s birthday are both on Halloween.
Adding another layer to the diverse interests of Deerfield housekeepers is Lisa Stowe, who currently works in Macallister and Harold Smith. When she is not hanging out with her newborn grandson, she spends her leisure time gardening. She first started gardening because her son’s landscaping business inspired her.
Discussing the vibrant diversity of plants in her garden, Ms. Stowe said, “I’ve got all kinds of plants and flowers—you name it.” But among this assortment, she said, her favorites remain hostas, tulips, and hydrangeas.
“My neighbors come by, and they compliment it,” said Ms. Stowe. “They love my gardens. There’s also this one girl in my neighborhood who likes to go around and look at all the little doodads—statues and ornaments and everything—and it’s just nice to see them enjoy it.”
Ms. Stowe added that gardening helps her relieve stress. “When you’re digging holes to plant these flowers, [stress] just finds its way out,” she said. She added that she loves “just watching things grow.”
Custodians do more than clean our residential and academic spaces; they are artists, chefs, and parents with individual passions and stories that go unrecognized. They work relentlessly to maintain our living spaces, yet their professional roles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their identities and contributions to the Deerfield community; they are full of interesting stories worth illuminating. 