GREENFIELD — By all accounts, Steve Blue was an amazing guy.
On Friday, his family and colleagues gathered to honor the late principal with a tribute they say was perfect for him — the dedication of a “buddy bench” at his beloved Harris Elementary School playground.
A buddy bench is a spot designated for children to go when they need a friend. The hope is other children will see them sitting there and go over to chat or encourage them to play.
There couldn’t be a better way to honor Blue, his friends and family said.
“It’s a wonderful tribute for a wonderful man,” said teacher Kristen Fewell, who worked more than 20 years with Blue when he served as principal at the Greenfield school.
Blue died in September at the age of 76, after serving nearly 40 years with the Greenfield-Central school system, the bulk of it at Harris.
He and his wife, Becky, lived right down the street from the school, and would often walk their grandkids to the playground to play.
“This place always stayed a part of him,” said Becky, addressing the group that gathered for the bench dedication Friday afternoon, May 14.
“It’s always been a happy place for us. Now I can enjoy coming over here and resting here on this bench,” she said.
Colleagues say Blue was a popular principal and was always a welcome sight at the school. Fittingly, the buddy bench that was dedicated in his honor is bright blue and sits alongside another bench that was installed a few years ago.
Three bright yellow hanging planters sat alongside the benches on Friday, a gift for Blue’s wife and two grown children — his daughter, Stacey Sturgeon, of Noblesville; and son, Ryan Blue, who lives in Fishers.
Blue’s granddaughter, 12-year-old Sophie Blue, knows her grandpa would love the buddy bench installed in his honor. “A buddy bench is a way to get kids to take care of each other. I know he’d love it. He’d come sit here every day,” she said.
Sarah Greulich, principal at Harris Elementary, said the buddy bench has been an effective way of encouraging students to look out for one another.
Typically, a child will sit there if they’re feeling lonely or need someone to talk to.
“Kids are awesome. They love helping each other, especially at this age,” said Gruelich, who oversees students in kindergarten through third grade.
The buddy bench gets used frequently and often prompts kids to start talking and then head to the playground together to play.
“It’s a great place for kids to relax and to build friendships as they sit,” the principal said.
School secretary Anita Workman, who worked over a decade with Blue, said there’s no better way the school could have honored the late principal.
“I feel like he’s right here sitting, watching all the kids while they play,” said Workman, who long admired the dedication her former boss had to the children he served.
“He was in the right position in life. It was his calling,” she said.
Becky Blue said Harris Elementary was one of her late husband’s favorite places to be.
“He loved this staff and this building. He was so proud of these youth and adults. It was his second family,” she said.
