J.E. Cosgriff kindergarten teacher Suzanne Lacombe is retiring

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Suzanne Lacombe has taught at J.E. Cosgriff Memorial School for 10 years.

SALT LAKE CITY – Suzanne Lacombe, who has been the kindergarten teacher at J.E. Cosgriff Memorial Catholic School for 10 years, is retiring after 35 years in the classroom.

“I feel like I’ve been so fortunate to be here and to be a part of a community,” she said. “The parents have been wonderful and the administration so supportive. I think I continue to be a lifelong learner here. I just feel like this is where I belonged, and this is where I still belong, but I just need more freedom to come and go.”

At Cosgriff, “you feel your faith,” she said. “We’re able to talk about God, we pray together, we learn together and it’s just a really nice feeling.”

Although she is stepping down from teaching fulltime, Lacombe will remain a familiar face on campus; she plans to continue volunteer teaching the after-school drama program and to substitute teach occasionally.

Lacombe joined the J.E. Cosgriff faculty after her husband Christopher accepted a job as an attorney for the State of Utah. The two are originally from Plattsburg, N.Y., where Lacombe began her career at St. John’s Academy; her pastor offered her a job there.

“I’d always wanted to be a teacher and it was a dream come true,” she said.

She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Plattsburg State University and a master’s in reading from Albany University. She taught in public schools for several years before returning to Catholic education.

In retirement, Lacombe plans to spend more time with her grandchildren and her mother, who is relocating to Utah.

Longtime substitute teacher Caroline Cheeseman is also leaving J.E. Cosgriff. Cheeseman’s career at the school began 13 years ago when she started helping out in her children’s classrooms. That evolved into working as a fulltime substitute at the school. She has taught all grades and led the school’s Power Hour (small-group instruction), along with working in the school’s office when needed

Cheeseman is moving to Tucson, Ariz. with her husband Kent and her son Jack, who will attend the University of Arizona. She said she will probably get involved in the Catholic education community there after getting acclimatized.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” she said of leaving J.E. Cosgriff. “The faculty and staff here are so great; I’ve made a lot of great friendships and I’ll miss that,” she said. “I love the kids and I’ve loved seeing them graduate.”