20 Who Count: Deirdra “Deedie” Killgore

By Jenna Wilson

Even through the hardest parts of being a special education teacher, Deirdra “Deedie” Killgore finds joy in empowering students, even in retirement.

Killgore spent the majority of her life working as a special education teacher for the St. Joseph School District and several other areas – educating infants to young adults.

“There were a lot of bad days, but there were also a lot of good ones,” she said. “No matter what, I always enjoyed the problem solving. For me, it was like, ‘How can I help this kiddo understand this concept? Because the regular path we’re using isn’t working.’”

Killgore currently volunteers multiple times a week at Hosea Elementary School and volunteers regularly with United Way’s Success By 6 program. She has also worked with children through Mid-City Excellence, serving children in need in the Midtown area.

“I was fortunate enough to be able to retire with some energy left, and so I thought I’d try and give back some of what people have given for me,” Killgore said. “I worked with a lot of teachers who had kids in their classroom that were a little bit difficult and I knew how much it helped to have someone else around to give them a little one-on-one time.”

Helping children and giving back to the community is what gives her purpose in life.

“Volunteering is good… it’s good for the people you help, it’s good for your own heart and your own health,” Killgore said. “A lot of the schools out there need the extra help and I’m happy to do my part.”