By JON BAKER

SEEKONK  ---  It’s little wonder why Cyndie Ginish-Hundertmark, Deborah Moran and Bernadette Andrews get along so well. For nearly three decades, they’ve shared the same trials and tribulations -- not to mention thousands of victories -- as educators at Lincoln’s William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School.

Honestly? The similarities are endless.

For those students disappointed by these educators’ collective departure, celebrated by dozens of co-workers and family members at Twelve Acres Restaurant in Smithfield on Dec. 20, they’ll be glad to know all plan on pursuing like careers. Then again, these instructors, all of whom stated they knew in third grade the career path they would chase, also admit being anxious to spend more time with their growing families, favorite hobbies, etc.

“It was just time to move on,” said Ginish-Hundertmark, a 54-year-old Barrington resident (and Pawtucket native) who has endured 28 years as a Davies physical education/health teacher. “I’ve always wanted to get my doctorate, and I’ve found a school that fits perfectly into my plans: The University of Southern California.

“My daughter, Kasondra, just graduated from USC with a major in psychology and a minor in business, and now she’s working got a great job in L.A.,” she added. “My husband, Bill, left Hasbro after 19 years about 18 months ago, and now he works for another toy company in California, though he works from home. I’d like both of us to relocate out there so we can be close to at least one of our children.”

Then there’s Moran, who has been a diagnostic prescriptive teacher for 15 years, those after 12 years as a special education instructor.

“My husband Bob retired nine years ago as a Pawtucket elementary school administrator, and we bought a house in Venice, Fla. three years ago,” said Moran, at 60 a Lincoln resident for 28 years. “He’s been pestering me for a while now so we could move to the warmth, though I have very mixed feelings. I’m having a hard time leaving the job, but it’s time for the recreation part of my life.

“I’m struggling with leaving my adult children (Michaella Costa of Greenville and Christopher Moran of Cumberland) and my four grandchildren (Connor, Dillon and Brady Moran, as well as Nolan Costa),” she added. “I will say, though, that I’m going to pursue some aspect of education, possibly becoming an advocate for children without parents or guardians. I’m going to look into it, as I don’t consider my career over. I know there are parttime or full-time jobs out there.”

As for Andrews, a 55-year-old Cumberland native and Davies’ special education teacher since 1977, wants free time to sew draperies and make bed spreads while enrolling in a water aerobics class at a local YMCA.

“I’d also like to work on the college level in a disabilities services office,” she said. “It would be as a support person for college kids who are on ‘504’ plans; that is, an accomodation plan for students with diagnosed disabilities.

“For now, though,” she continued with a smile, “I need a little quiet time for my hobbies. I also want to be with my first grandchild, as my daughter Jennifer is expecting June 21.”

With that came congratulations from her two fellow retirees.

This threesome has provided more than just standard lessons at Davies:

-- After attending Pawtucket West High -- and snaring numerous state and New England swimming titles in the process -- Ginish-Hundertmark graduated from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Oh., in 1975 and later earned her Master’s in physical/health education from Rhode Island College. She spent four years teaching in Pawtucket before moving on to Davies.

She not only has been a class, yearbook and student council advisor, but also has coached both cheerleading and swim teams at the school. And, since 1998, she was the chair of the physical/health education department.

-- Moran grew up in north Seekonk but attended Tolman High before going to college. Married at age 20, she raised her two children before re-enrolling at RIC, graduating with Bachelors’ in both elementary education and psychology in 1979. Two years later, she gained a Master’s in special education, also from RIC, then taught for a year at Saylesville Elementary School.

She hooked on at Davies in 1980, and since has served on two school improvement teams, been a class advisor, chaired the Community Public Relations Committee, facilitated the Parent Involvement Policy Annual Review and coordinated the Parent/Family Council. She also was a member of the Northern Rhode Island Transition Advisory Council..

-- Andrews, a Cumberland High graduate and now Lincoln resident, graduated from RIC with a Bachelor of Science (elementary/special education) in 1975, then earned a Master’s in the latter at Providence College this past May (at the same time son Matt snared his Bachelor’s in business administration).

In 1977, she began her career at Davies as one of the first special ed teachers.

She, too, has served as a class advisor, not to mention VICA judge for state child care competition and Teachers’ Union Executive Board and Grievance Committee member. For several years, she also has been a member of the ARTS TALK team teacher and after-school RISD/DAVIES Art Studio Program, while tutoring Davies’ students on sick leave.

Likewise, Andrews’ “Linus Blanket” student group made and donated blankets to ill youngsters at Hasbro Children’s Hospital.

As for her fondest memory in teaching, Andrews lit up while describing one:

“I remember a student named Doug Prescott, who had been in carpentry, and he showed up at my classroom doorstep 17 years later; this was just a couple of years ago,” she beamed. “He thanked me for changing his life, telling me if I hadn’t had him in English class, he might have dropped out of high school.

“I always had seen his potential, but he didn’t seem to back then,” she continued. “He had a lot of external pressure at home, and I kept pushing him him because I always truly thought he’d succeed. When he told me that, I cried a little, call them tears of joy. He told me what he had done, and he’s been very successful in the building trade.”

Stated Moran: “I had a girl named Danielle Kay. She was from Lincoln, and she was able to pass her cosmetolology test just this year. She got her license in June, and -- through the advocacy of special education and strong parental involvement -- she achieved her goal. That was touching.”

On the humorous front, Ginish-Hundertmark offered this: “We’ve reached generations of children at Davies. I mean, as much as I hate to say it, we’ve all had kids who come back and say, ‘You had our grandmother!’

“A lot of times, you don’t get feedback in the form of a ‘thank you’ or anything like that, the reason being many of the students form a closer bond with their career or technical teacher,” she added. “But there’s been a lot of personal satisfaction with this job. It’s really hard to leave the kids, but there are other things to look forward to.”