Michael G. Gabriel has been on the faculty at Holy Family High School for 45 years, and he has the memories to show for it.
“I’ve pretty much done everything you could do in this school,” Gabriel told the Denver Catholic. “Honestly, it’s been a pretty fast trip. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. You just keep doing it every day and all of a sudden you find yourself in it for that long.”
Gabriel, who turns 72 in two weeks, is currently a physical education teacher at the Broomfield high school. He has also taught social studies and theology. He has served as athletic director, assistant principal and, on an interim basis, even principal.
He himself graduated from Holy Family High School in 1970. His late wife, Patricia Gabriel, went to the school and was born to parents who went to Holy Family. Her grandparents broke ground on the old Holy Family school building in North Denver, which accepted its first high school students in 1922.
Though the high school moved to Broomfield in 1999, the Gabriels’ four children continued the tradition.
“All four went here,” Gabriel said. He has three grandchildren at the school, while one has graduated and three are waiting to attend.
“It’s been a been a fun trip and it’s fun to watch your grandkids go to the same school that you went to and your kids went to,” he added. “It’s great.”
After graduating college, Gabriel student taught at the high school in 1973. A few years later, he was hired full-time, and he’s been there ever since.
Longtime Holy Family sports fans know that Gabriel is famous for his role as a coach.
“I’ve been coaching a lot longer than 45 years,” he said.
He has served as head basketball coach and head wresting coach. He was head football coach three different times, totaling about 15 years.
His time as head coach included two state championships. The high school’s football stadium bears his name – which first came as a surprise to him.
“That was quite an honor. It was a shock,” Gabriel recounted. “I’m very proud of it.”
While the state championships are certainly among Gabriel’s good memories of his time at Holy Family, there are more.
“The good memories are watching the kids graduate,” he said. “Certain kids coming back to teach always makes you feel really good. We have quite a few alumni on staff. That always makes you feel pretty proud of what you do.”
His son is among these returning alumni. Michael D. Gabriel is now a vice principal at the high school. He, too, once coached the football team.
“Just being here has been a great trip all the way around for memories,” said Gabriel.
His wife Patricia has a legacy too: the road to the high school bears her name: Patty Gabriel Way.
“Holy Family in itself is like being in a small town,” Gabriel said. “Everybody goes to the school and everybody stays in touch. For me, that’s the draw.”
Supporters of Catholic schools are observing National Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3.
As a longtime teacher, coach and administrator, Gabriel praised Catholic education.
“I think Catholic schools are very important to help evangelize our kids and get into a little bit deeper association with the Catholic philosophy,” he said. “It’s always good to be able to find a niche in a Catholic school. We can provide a niche for kids who are looking for that.”
Not all Holy Family students are Catholic, he said, but they all take theology and “they all have a similar need for community that the school provides.”
The high school community is still flourishing after a big move 25 years ago.
“It’s kind of funny,” Gabriel reflected. “We were in North Denver until 1999. That was a strong, strong community. It was actually very difficult to leave.”
“Now we’ve been up here for the last 25 years,” he said. “It feels like the community is very similar. I think Holy Family, and maybe all Catholic schools, offers that sense of community that people need. I think that’s important.”