School Bus Driver Helps Young Boy Grieve the Loss of His Papa

One compassionate Rhode Island bus driver helped a boy grieve the loss of his grandpa by making him her special helper. This “angel sent from heaven in a bus-shaped cloud” means more to second-grader Jack Monterecy and his family than she may ever realize.

Throughout Jack’s childhood, he’d see his Papa, Peter Magnan, every day standing at the end of his driveway waving at him when he rode the bus to school—until this year.

Rain or Shine, Papa Would Be There

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“Rain or shine, [my dad] would go to the end of his road every morning and wave to Jack," said Caroline, Jack's mom. “On special days, Papa would hold a sign or have something for Jack to try to spice it up. We would hear from neighbors and other parents of kids that are in Jack's class.”

“We counted his steps, me and the kids on the bus, we all counted together 1, 2, 3, it took Papa 33 steps to get to the other side of the street," bus driver Anne Marie Torregrossa said. "It was something our bus would do every day. Then, Jack would wave to his grandpa, the grandpa would always stay near the pole, and he would wave to Jack and he’d say, 'Bye buddy, I love you, have a good day.' I look up in the mirror. I'd say, 'What a special bond he has with his grandfather, to see that every day.'"

Anne Marie has been driving a bus for 46 years.

“I drove through the blizzard of 78," said Anne Marie. “Every day is a different day. Everyday it’s another adventure.”

School Bus Driver Helps Boy Grieve

Peter passed away the day before school started this year.

“It was our nightmare. They were so close, it was unexpected, we had the funeral the day before the first day of school and thankfully Anne was mapping out her route and she came to the wake," said Caroline. “She talked to him actually at the wake, and told him how she was going to make him her helper. She put a picture of Papa by her visor and gave him this role to help distract him. I think everyone, we were all nervous about how he would be that first day not having him there, you know.”

For Peter’s last birthday, the whole bus sang “Happy Birthday” to him over the loudspeaker.

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Remembering Papa

Anne Marie said, “I asked Jack and the family if I could put a picture of Papa with us on the bus, so Papa is always with us every day and he’s looking over us. I said, 'When you’re ready to come back to school, you can be my special helper.' So, I had a name tag made for him when he came back."

“It was a hard time so she was trying to make my life a little better without Papa. She was making me be better," said Jack. “It’s been a hard time not seeing Papa.”

When Jack started going to school, his parents were nervous about how he’d do on the bus. But now, thanks to Anne Marie’s compassion and support, Jack loves buses and wants to be a bus driver when he grows up. All of his toys have the number 12 on them, the same as his school bus.

When there’s a holiday, Anne Marie also places wreaths on the telephone stand near where Peter would stand.

She’s More Than a Bus Driver—She’s a ‘Support System’

“She stepped in and filled a gap and I don’t think we ever expected a bus driver to play that role," said Jonathan Monterecy, Jack's dad.

“It was so special to think that a 5, 6 year-old would think that way, that they admire you so much for everything you do, not knowing that he was always watching what I was doing," said Anne Marie. “I try to make a difference in a child’s life, and if I did that then I know I did my job.”

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“She’s just amazing. It’s not that she’s an amazing bus driver, she’s an amazing person. And the fact that my kids get to spend time with her, and I trust her with them, and they look forward to spending time with her, it’s a blessing,” said Jonathan. “She’s an angel sent from heaven in a bus-shaped cloud, that we say all the time."

Anne Marie went above and beyond for Jack and his family. This is just one story of the thousands of kids she must’ve impacted through her 46 years as a school bus driver. What a remarkable woman!

WATCH: School Bus Driver Helps Young Boy Grieve the Loss of His Papa

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h/t: 10 WJAR

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/NBC 10 WJAR

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.