2019 Wall of Fame Inductees
The Morrisville-Eaton Central School District inducted three distinguished alumni into the 2019 class of its Wall of Fame. This year’s inductees – Betsy Matthias, Heddy-Dale Matthias, and Raymond Herrick were recognized during an October 19th ceremony.
The Wall of Fame Class of 2019:
Betsy Matthias - Class of 1966
Bachelor of Science in experimental psychology from St. Lawrence University 1970; Master’s in elementary education from Oneonta State University 1971; Master’s in pupil personnel from Syracuse University 1974; Certificate of Advanced Study in educational administration from SUNY New Paltz. Betsy taught second grade at MECS for two years after earning her first master’s degree. She then moved to the Catskills region, where she spent 19 years as an elementary guidance counselor and an assistant principal in Ellenville, as well as teaching adults at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility. In 1993, Betsy was hired as a principal in the newly formed Cobleskill-Richmondville school district, where she spent 10 years before retiring. Betsy has served on the board of directors of the Schoharie ARC and the ARC’s Foundation, and she remains an active volunteer with the agency. She was a member of Cooper Country Crafts, a co-op craft store in Cooperstown, and she enjoys flower gardening and lawn care. She enjoys spending time with her siblings and their families and dining with friends, Red Hat gals, teachers, and neighbors. At the holidays, Betsy sings tenor in a community chorus, before visiting with friends and family in Florida. Betsy lives in Richmondville with her terrier mix mutt, Alvy.
Heddy-Dale Matthias, MD - Class of 1967
Bachelor of Arts in American History from Bucknell University 1971; Doctor of Medicine from Tufts University School of Medicine 1977. Heddy completed a one-year internship at Albany Medical Center, then completed her two-year residency at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston and a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Pittsburgh Presbyterian Hospital. She earned board certifications in Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine, ultimately focusing on her passion for Critical Care. After a year in Pittsburgh, she returned to Central NY to teach at Upstate Medical Center and Albany Medical Center. In 1986, Heddy was offered a position at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and she has remained a private practice anesthesiologist in the Jackson area since then. She has written for the Mississippi State Medical Journal and is active in medical politics. She is a volunteer reading tutor for young children, a supporter of a new Jackson-area charter school, and is actively involved in dog rescue and the Adopt-A-Golden Birmingham program. Heddy remains close with family and has two “children,” Golden Retrievers Luka and Max.
Raymond M. Herrick - Class of 1977
Enlisted and served in the U.S. Army Reserve and then the U.S. Army 1978-85, serving as a Military Police in Ft. Lee, VA, and a Military Police Investigator in Berlin, Germany. In 1986, Raymond joined the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, retiring from there in 2015. He currently works part-time for the Marcellus Police Department as Road Patrol Officer and serves as the School Resource Officer for the Tully school district. During his 29 years in the Sherriff’s Office, Raymond served as an Undercover Detective in the Narcotics Unit; a Detective for the Major Crimes Unit, the Abused Person Unit, and the Technical Operations Unit; a Detective/supervisor of the Sherriff’s Pistol License Unit; and an FBI Certified Bomb Technician. He also assisted with recovery efforts in NYC following the 9/11 attacks. Raymond spent many years interacting with youth going through struggles, similar to his past life at that age, and looks at it as “Paying it Forward” to hopefully guide the troubled youth into a better path. He enjoys riding his Harley Davidson and camping. Raymond and his wife Leslie live in rural southern Onondaga County with their dog, Tank. They have three wonderful children, three beautiful grandchildren, and one more being born in December.
On behalf of the entire Morrisville-Eaton school district and community, congratulations to our three newest members of the Wall of Fame.