SAUGUS — The auditorium at the Saugus Middle/High School was officially dedicated the “Lemoine Mitchell Auditorium” on Tuesday evening in honor of two beloved educators who shepherded Saugus students through the arts for decades.
The auditorium’s new moniker is a tribute Nancy Lemoine and Jerome J. Mitchell, who both died in 2013. Lemoine and Mitchell were honored by former students, colleagues, and town officials at a brief ceremony ahead of the high school’s winter concert.
School Committee Vice Chair John Hatch, one of three members to attend the event along with Ryan Fisher and Dennis Gould, said it was “an honor and a pleasure” to be at the ceremony.
“I was blessed to know both of the recipients,” Hatch said. “It’s a true honor to really pay tribute to two educators that make such a difference in people’s lives that will remember them forever.”
The School Committee in 2021 voted to dedicate the auditorium at the middle/high school complex to Lemoine and Mitchell, who both died in 2013. The auditorium at the old Saugus High School building was also dedicated to Lemoine and Mitchell.
Lemoine, a lifelong Saugonian who graduated from Saugus High School in 1975, worked in the town’s public schools from 1987 to 2013, serving as the high school’s drama director and choral director. For a brief period, Lemoine also served as the drama coach and choral director at Belmonte Middle School.
She was honored by Bernie Sacco, a former teacher at Belmonte Middle School, who first met Lemoine at the Theatre Company of Saugus. In his remarks, Sacco described Lemoine as a “special educator” who was “courageous” and “ahead of her time.”
“Nancy brought us that brief shining moment here to Saugus,” he said, referencing a lyric from the Broadway musical Camelot. “It was truly a brief shining moment because we lost her so early in this woman’s talented life. Nancy truly brought the golden age of performing arts to Saugus High. Nan, which is what everyone including her students respectively called her, had a love for the theater. But, she had a great passion for teaching and for her kids.”
“Many other adult actors here in Saugus and surrounding communities were lucky enough to work and be inspired by Nan. So many people in the performing arts in general are today in a better place because of Nancy Lemoine. Nancy, you truly were the wind beneath our wings,” Sacco concluded.
Mitchell taught music in Saugus from 1949 to 1993. A graduate of Boston University who lived in town for 65 years, he served as leader of the 100th Division Infantry Band that toured Europe during World War II. During his time with the town’s public schools, Mitchell was named director of the Saugus High School band, a role that later evolved into director of music education for the Saugus Public School System.
John Macero, the onetime principal of the now-shuttered Lynnhurst Elementary School and former superintendent of schools in Stoneham, spoke about Mitchell in glowing terms, fondly recalling his time as a student learning from Mitchell.
“The students — whether performing a solo, being a squad leader, first chair, musician, choir master, twirling a baton, dancing, or flag possession — all had a sense of purpose and belonging, which would enrich their lives. This was Mr. Mitchell’s core value,” Macero said. “Mr. Mitchell’s gift to the town of Saugus was his overall dedication to students and their families to simply make lives better with music.”
“However, his gift to his students was to empower his students to be passionate, committed, organized, and a leader. I like to think that I’m an example of that, from my progress in education. Not only did he work and build, folks, but what he did was allow us to go and do the same for our generations to come,” he continued.
At a Board of Selectmen meeting later Tuesday evening, members honored Lemoine and Mitchell, sharing that they wished they could have attended the dedication ceremony.
“I really want to thank the School Committee for their leadership … and really recognizing these people,” said Selectman Michael Serino.
“I graduated with Nancy. She was quite talented, the kids loved her as a teacher, and Mr. Mitchell brought that band to just unbelievable places,” said Selectman Corrine Riley.
Vice Chairman Debra Panetta added that she was close with Lemoine and described her as a “ phenomenal individual.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Macero invited members of Lemoine and Mitchell’s families up to the entrance to the auditorium, where they grabbed hold of the tails of a black cloak hanging above the entryway, pulling it down to reveal signage declaring it the Lemoine Mitchell Auditorium.
