Former Students Celebrate a Beloved Teacher at 90

Bela Varga is a longtime educator and former training manager who spent nearly six decades in Dayton, Tennessee. Born in Hungary, he escaped the turmoil of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution at age 20, making a perilous journey to Austria before immigrating to Venezuela and later living in Barbados. After embracing the Christian faith, he attended Oak Hills Bible Institute in Minnesota, where he met his wife, Georgia. He later graduated from Bryan College and earned a master’s degree from Tennessee Technological University.

Bela taught Spanish, German, and Drafting at Rhea Central High School during the late 1960s and early 1970s and, following a career as a Training Manager with TVA, returned to the classroom at Rhea County High School in the 1990s. He and his wife, fellow educator Georgia Varga, shared more than six decades of marriage until her passing in 2025. Together they raised two daughters, Susie and Beth, and were blessed with a granddaughter, Emma.

“A Teacher Remembered: Former Students and Friends Celebrate Mr. Varga”

Few educators leave behind the kind of legacy that spans generations, shapes careers, inspires lifelong friendships, and becomes part of family history. Judging by the many birthday tributes shared by former students, colleagues, friends, and neighbors, Mr. Varga was one of those rare people.

Stories poured in from decades of former students who remembered him not only as a Spanish and German teacher, but as a compassionate mentor, storyteller, comedian, and friend.

A Teacher Who Made Learning Fun

Many remembered the joy of his classes and his famous Friday tradition of watching Sanford and Son.

Roxanne Aikman Nelson recalled, “I had Mr. Varga for Spanish 2. He was a great teacher and loved his class! My memory as well was getting to watch Sanford and Son on Fridays.”

Amy Louallen Stinnett shared, “Watching that show is my favorite memory of being in his Spanish class.”

Amanda Cook Hixson remembered, “He was the biggest Sanford and Son fan! I still quote one of his funniest sayings, ‘I’m busier than a three-legged cat on an ice skating pond,’ always spoken in Mr. Varga’s accent.”

Eric Calhaugh admitted he was initially concerned when he heard they would be watching a Spanish program.

“The first time he told us we were gonna watch a Spanish show in Spanish 2, I was worried,” he wrote. “Then Sanford and Son came on.”

Tiffany Mitchell also remembered those Friday afternoons fondly. “One of my favorite memories was watching Sanford and Son in Spanish. He made learning Spanish fun.”

Kindness and Patience

Barbara Gentry described Mr. Varga as “very patient and kind and a great teacher.”

Sally Chapman Phelps remembered, “He was such a kind man! I took Spanish in summer school so I could have him as a teacher!”

LyNawn Mikula simply stated, “He didn’t teach me, but was a wonderful neighbor. Love him.”

Edie Shaver called him “a very kind man and a friend to all.”

James Fields summed him up as a “great man, artist, teacher, and friend.”

Miranda Lancaster remembered his passion and friendship with her father. “He was so passionate, kind, and a wonderful teacher.”

Lessons Beyond the Classroom

Jamie Ridley said Mr. Varga taught a lesson she has never forgotten.

“He explained the difference between friends and acquaintances,” she wrote. “He said one can count true friends on one hand. Everyone else is just acquaintances. That’s a hard lesson for a kid to realize, but in adulthood it really hits home.”

Christie E. Wilhoit Walters recalled his ability to stand firm while helping students grow.

“I appreciate his standing firm as a teacher when I acted up,” she wrote. “Thanks for helping me see my less than stellar character at times and not taking flack from me. I am a teacher today who does the same thing.”

Inspiring Future Teachers

Several former students credited Mr. Varga with influencing their own careers in education.

Christina McPherson said, “Years later, I ended up teaching eighth-grade ELA.”

Debra Shaver wrote, “I loved how he taught so much that I wanted to become a teacher. I taught for forty years.”

Christie E. Wilhoit Walters added that she also became a teacher and often follows the example he set.

A Teacher Who Went the Extra Mile

Donna Carter shared one of the most touching stories.

She remembered struggling to learn Spanish and feeling discouraged. Mr. Varga volunteered to stay after school two days a week for nearly two months to tutor her personally.

“Because of his time and energy he sacrificed for me, I could speak to my elementary parents and their children at school,” she wrote. “Thank you, Mr. Varga!”

Clint Olson remembered receiving grace when his grades were suffering.

“My grade was so low on a test that he curved it 30 points so I would pass,” Olson recalled. “He had worked with my father at Watts Bar, so when he held me after class to discuss my low grade, he said, ‘I can’t continue giving these curves—there are students in the class that made 130 on the test!’”

Humor That Students Never Forgot

Rachel Barrows remembered his correction of pronunciation mistakes.

“The thing I remember him saying whenever someone pronounced something wrong was, ‘You put the stress on the wrong syllable!’”

Tom Warner recalled hearing him say, “That’s the way the cookie bounces,” and “You have the ac-cent on the wrong syl-lobble.”

Amanda Harris remembered his playful remarks about Southern expressions.

“He would say, ‘What did you do that for?’ and then mock it in his accent. My best friend Nikki Clark and I still say that to each other almost thirty years later.”

Several students recalled his storytelling.

Angela McCoy remembered emotional stories he told about fleeing war-torn Hungary.

“It was terribly sad and Mr. Varga became very emotional and it made a tragic time seem very real,” she wrote.

Rebecca Lynne similarly remembered “his recollection of overcoming incredible adversity, escaping a war zone as a young child.”

Laughter and Unforgettable Moments

Bev Duckett shared a hilarious memory from 1993-94 when she became ill in class.

After a first incident, Mr. Varga warned her not to leave without permission. When she suddenly became sick again, he jumped in front of the door trying unsuccessfully to stop her.

“Mr. Varga got baptized with it,” she joked. “His shirt, tie, pants, shoes, floor—everything.”

Later he told her, “You sick, you go.”

Clint Olson remembered another humorous moment involving classroom seating.

“One day Mr. Varga kept me after class and said, ‘I’m going to have to change your seating arrangement. You can’t keep meeting with Tom Cat Tommy Williams in class. Where would you like for me to put you?’”

Olson answered, “I told him I wanted to sit behind the best-looking girl in class. He shook his head and laughed. The next time I came to class, guess what? He put me right behind the best-looking girl in class.”

Stories Shared Across Generations

Joshua Hood noted, “I had the privilege of having Mrs. Varga at Frazier and Mr. Varga in high school.”

Angie Taylor Pendergrass said, “He taught me, my brother, and my mother.”

Tiffany Mitchell remembered that Mr. Varga had taught her father German before later teaching her Spanish.

Beverly Louallen recalled meeting him years later in a grocery store.

“I started speaking Spanish I remembered and he turned around and said my name,” she wrote. “You were in the first graduating class at the new high school. I can’t believe you remember that much Spanish!”

An Extraordinary Mind

Several people marveled at his intellect.

Carol Purser Floyd called him “a fascinating and intelligent individual.”

Angela McCoy described him as “an intelligent, HUMAN person whose knowledge is unsurpassed.”

BK Marler recounted calling Mr. Varga for help translating a poem. Although he could not answer the question, he immediately handed the phone to Georgia Varga, who solved the problem.

“Wow! Was I ever embarrassed!” Marler laughed.

Memories Outside the Classroom

Christie E. Wilhoit Walters remembered a night when she and friends attempted to “roll” the Varga home with toilet paper.

“Mr. Varga walked outside and caught us before we could make his yard white,” she wrote. “We hid behind the bushes so scared and ran away when he went inside.”

Kailee Paige wrote, “I was honored to care for Mr. Varga’s wife. They are the sweetest people.”

Miranda Lancaster remembered that Mr. Varga and her father worked together at Watts Bar and that he had drawn plans for her parents’ home.

A Lasting Legacy

Again and again, former students spoke of admiration, affection, and gratitude.

Andrea Blaylock simply wrote, “Happy Birthday Mr. Varga!”

Marcy Kay called herself “blessed” to have been in his class.

Martha Garland Lawson remembered him as “always very encouraging and often entertaining with a funny story.”

Sally Dean said Mr. Varga gave her “an appreciation for Sanford and Son, and respectively, all people.”

Perhaps James Fields captured the sentiment best:

“Great man, artist, teacher, and friend. Hope he has many more birthdays. He taught school like he cared for their futures.”

Judging by the hundreds of memories still being shared decades later, Mr. Varga did far more than teach Spanish and German. He taught kindness, humor, perseverance, friendship, and humanity—and those lessons have endured long after students left his classroom.

Now living near family in the Nashville area, Bela treasures his family, his years in education, and his Hungarian heritage. A man of many interests, he has enjoyed oil painting, travel, tennis, and soccer, and today continues to delight in reading, trivia, and preparing his famous Hungarian paprikas.

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