Published: November 17, 2008 01:48 pm      

Retired teacher picks up old hobby

Second childhood

PLAINFIELD — When Jim Fuson retired from teaching he wasn’t ready to retire from everything.

He and Linda, his wife of 36 years, are both retired from Monrovia schools. Linda still substitute teaches two or three days a week.

The couple has stayed physically active by entering mini-marathons where they enjoy walking fast. They are also members of the Plainfield Recreation Center — living about half a mile from the facility.

“We stay pretty busy with our workouts,” Fuson said. “But we were looking for something else to do. That’s when we reverted back to childhood.”

When Fuson was in Cub Scouts, he began collecting Lincoln Head pennies.

“While I did the Lincoln Heads my mother did the Indian Heads,” he said. “So it became a family thing.

“My wife did the same thing when she was a girl. One of the first things we did was finish her grandmother’s Indian Head collection.”

He is also collecting baseball cards.

“When I was in Little League as a kid, of about 8 or 9, I was a big Willie Mays fan,” he said. “Right now I am trying to finish up a 1957 set.”

Fuson is now on the board of directors for the Indianapolis Coin Club.

“We meet about once a month and talk about the coin business and where the shows are,” he added. “While going to the shows I’ve seen people I had not seen in years. We’ve actually gotten to meet a lot of other retired teachers.”

Fuson retired after teaching for 33 years. He finished up at Monrovia with 29 years of service as a business, math, and driver education teacher and girls’ basketball coach.

“The first four years after college I taught at Pittsboro High School,” he said. “I met my wife in college.”

Fuson, 61, and Linda, 60, raised two sons — Steve and Jeff Fuson. Steve attended Indiana University and Jeff graduated from Purdue University.

“Of course they have to fight over that,” he said.

Fuson taught at Monrovia High School following in his father’s footsteps. Robert “Bob” Fuson was a teacher and coach at MHS from 1965-87. And now his oldest son, Steve, has decided to go back to school to become an educator.

“He wants to become a teacher and coach,” Fuson said. “And both of my sisters are teachers.”

Fuson said that getting back into a hobby from his youth has been a wonderful experience.

“Sometimes I think the older you get, the younger you act,” he said.

Fuson is currently helping to organize the Indy Collectibles Show which will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 29 at the Eastside Holiday Inn in Indianapolis, at the corner of 21st Street and Shadeland Avenue.

“It’s going to be one big show with coins, cards, and stamps,” he said. “There will be three rooms open for dealers and it’s free.”

He said participants will be encouraged to buy, sell, and trade their collectibles.

brenda.holmes@flyergroup.com



Just the facts

WHAT: Indy Collectibles Show

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 29

WHERE: Eastside Holiday Inn, 6990 E. 21st. St., Indianapolis