Education and serving the community has always been part of David Spathelf’s life. The Cleveland Township resident will be turning 86 this year, and although he is now very much retired, he remains an active member of the community in more ways than one.
Born in Detroit, Spathelf and his family made the move up north to Big Rapids in 1952 when his father, Victor, took on the job as president of Ferris State University, formerly known as Ferris Institute. After graduating from high school in 1958, he immediately enrolled in Central Michigan University (CMU), later earning a teaching certificate in physics and industrial technical education.
Spathelf said he was always intrigued by the great teachers that he had, and in a way, he was following their lead as role models. He saw how effective teachers could be in terms of offering education to their students of various ages and abilities. Central Michigan University was known as being a leading institution that helped many become teachers at the time, Spathelf explained, so he followed suit in pursuing his goals there to become one. Spathelf’s driven father was another point of inspiration as he was once a teacher, principal, a superintendent, and college president.
