Cleveland Court Elementary Names Media Center for Beloved Paraeducator Frances Fowler
It was a joyous occasion at Cleveland Court Elementary today, as the school held a ceremony to name its media center in honor of the late Frances Fowler.
Born in Lakeland in 1927 — the same year Cleveland Court was built — Fowler worked at the school as a kindergarten and media paraeducator. She joined Cleveland Court in 1986 at the age of 59 and served there for 25 years. After retirement, she continued to volunteer daily in the media center until schools shut down in response to COVID in March of 2020.
At Cleveland Court, Fowler was known as the “book doctor,” carefully tending to damaged texts so that students could enjoy them for years to come.
“Students always looked forward to seeing and talking to Mrs. Fowler,” said Lee Kranek, assistant principal at Cleveland Court. “They would ask her to help them find just the right books. She was always happy to pass along a love of reading.”
Fowler passed away on Dec. 19, 2020. She was 93.
The written dedication for Cleveland Court's media center describes her as the school's “dear friend”:
“May her kind spirit and love of books continue to live on within the students of Cleveland Court Elementary.”
