Rockland Man Honored for 50 Years at Stepinac High School

The first 50 years at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains have been a blur, according to Don Larkin, a Rockland County resident.

“I do remember the first day way back in September of 1963 and i was more scared than the kids in the class,” Larkin recalled. “The rest of it is just history, especially when you have students that change after four years. It’s almost like starting over and over and over again.”

Larkin was honored by the school Friday on his 50th anniversary. Earlier in the day, he was honored with proclamations from Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett, a graduate of the high school; and White Plains Mayor Tom Roach name Friday Don Larkin Day.

Later in the evening, there was reception held in his honor at the school.

“Today is just a tremendous honor for me,” Larkin said.

Larkin resides in Bardonia with his wife. They have three daughters and six grandchildren, according to Larkin.

Larkin started out as a language teacher the school in 1963 and went on to serve stints as a basketball and soccer coach. He then went on to become athletic director at the school before taking his current role as the school’s student activities coordinator.

In addition to the day’s activities, the school also honored Larkin with a scholarship in his name and named the hall outside of the school gym after him.

“I walked into Latin class in 1963 and my teacher was a brand new teacher named Don Larkin,” Plunkett said. “And here were are 50 years later, celebrating a great career at Archbishop Stepinac High School. “

Father Tom Collins, president of Stepinac High School, said the idea to honor Larkin came last year when officials started brainstorming ways to honor the school’s longest working employees.

“We realize how fortunate we are to have a faculty member who is so devoted to the school and you can tell that Don loves Stepinac, he loves the students, faculty and administration,” Collins said. “He’s willing to do whatever we ask of him and that’s what makes him such a great individual.”

“The biggest change has been all of the things that have happened around the students,” Larkin said. “Before, we had simple books and now they have the computers and all of the electronic things that have changed their lives. But they still remain the same kids.”