Marsha Warner, Gulf’s DCT teacher, will retire at the end of this month after teaching in Pasco County for 31 years.
Ms. Warner started at Gulf High School about 1985 as the tenth grade guidance counselor. She subsequently worked in a pilot project for the ESE work option program, then taught DCT and SSAP, and this year has taught DCT exclusively. She has often been the lunchroom supervisor and has been important in organizing the graduation ceremony for many years.
She started her teaching career at West Zephyrhills Elementary School, where she taught third and fourth grades, and then transferred to Woodland Elementary School when it opened in 1978. There she taught fourth grade. She then became the adult education guidance counselor for eastern Pasco County, a position she held for about four years.
For twenty-two years Ms. Warner owned a pet sitting business, Pet Care of Tampa Bay. She currently is a co-owner of Nobleton Outpost in Nobleton, which offers canoeing and kayaking through the Withlacoochee State Forest.
Ms. Warner was born in Tampa. She graduated from Robinson High School in 1969 and she majored in special education at USF. She also received a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from USF and is certified in elementary education and special education/EH. She has the DCT endorsement and is also a certified food manager.
In 1994 she traveled to China to adopt a one year old girl. Her daughter, Allison, is now 14 years old and attends Hernando Christian Academy, where she is a straight-A student. Ms. Warner was among ten families that made the trip to China together. Each family adopted an abandoned girl. The ten families have a reunion each year so that the children can meet their “China sisters.” Ms. Warner said that two of the ten girls, who looked similar, underwent DNA testing and were found to be actual sisters.
Ms. Warner says that her retirement from the Pasco County school system will give her more time to devote to Nobleton Outpost and will mean the end of her 70-minute commute to work. She lives on the Withlacoochee River at Nobleton, which is in the northeastern corner of Hernando County.
