Remembering the best times of his of life...

It's funny how a song or a meal can instantly take you back to a particular moment—or maybe driving past your childhood home or elementary school that floods your mind with memories. Those memories become increasingly crucial after a dementia diagnosis.

Daniel Frye III attended Walzem Elementary school and Krueger Middle School and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1969. Since then, he's graduated from Texas Tech University and worked for Tetco, Valero, and Apple Computers. Unfortunately, he's also been diagnosed with dementia. The chronic disorder can impair reasoning or mess with memories. But for Frye, memories of his time at NEISD are some of his happiest and some of the memories that are most accessible despite his diagnosis.

His daughter recently sent in a story about her father and how deeply rooted and important his NEISD memories are.

"My dad never misses a chance to tell us stories of his time at Krueger and Roosevelt. He set the bar high for my brother's and mine's high school experiences. We used to ride bikes in the Krueger parking lot, and Dad would point out different places on campus where he and his buddies got into mischief. Despite his cognitive decline, my brother and I got him to the Roosevelt Class of '69s 50th reunion in 2019. He never missed a reunion! Many of his classmates made accommodations to ensure he was cared for during the festivities. I think what helped create such good memories for dad was the sense of community. This helped to form deeply rooted relationships."

His passion for his education rubbed off on his daughter. She's now a guidance counselor at Poteet Junior High School. His love for NEISD also rubbed off on her; her stepchildren attend Wood Middle School and Madison High School.

Big or small, we all have a story to tell; tell us yours at neisd.net/tellyourstory