‘One of a kind’: B.C. great-grandfather, 84, has spent more than a decade greeting middle school kids

Even on a bad day, the students at one Abbotsford school have something to look forward to.

Ben Gruber has a special connection with kids.

For more than a decade, the 84-year-old has been the familiar face greeting Clayburn Middle School students in Abbotsford, B.C., each morning.

“It wouldn’t really be Clayburn Middle School without Ben,” said June Zander, a Grade 8 student. “Seeing him, it makes my day instantly better because he’s just nice.”

Some kids wear small pins with Gruber’s picture.

He signs autographs.

And all the students know how to do the “Ben” handshake.

“I did (the handshake) with one kid and the other kids saw it and they want to do it, and then the whole school now wants to do it,” the great-grandfather explained.

Though he can’t remember every student’s name, he has welcomed thousands of children over the years in a job he started because his grandkids went to the school.

“I didn’t really know what to expect (of the job), what to do,” he recalled.

But he soon found himself asking, “How come those children somehow liked me and come to me?”

Gruber thinks it’s because he pays attention to the students.

Perhaps it’s also because he genuinely cares.

Said student Beau Cryer, “When I was having a bad day too, he came right to me, just trying to get me up for the day which definitely helped for sure.”

“He notices those that are by themselves or who might have a frown on their face, and he will go up to them and engage and they leave feeling better,” said Elizabeth Smoes, the vice-principal at Clayburn Middle.

Gruber said the job gives him a routine.

And a purpose.

“To be a purpose to the kids, to help them to make a good day and cheer them up, and so that in return, gives me pleasure and happiness,” he said.

Students say Gruber is a listener and an encourager.

He makes each student feel special.

Gruber said on Fridays, he tells the kids, “I insist you take two days off. But do not forget to come back on Monday.”

He said when they ask why, he tells them, “If you don’t come back on Monday I’m going to miss you. And (students) smile and they’re happy.”

The vice-principal said Gruber is a blessing.

“There has never been another Ben. He’s a one of a kind,” Smoes explained.

And some might even say, he’s the heart of the school.