Paul Evans has made quite the impact at St. Peter School – that’s undeniable.

For the last 33 years, every kid that has attended St. Peter’s, whether it be for just one year or from pre-school through eighth grade have one thing in common – they’ve had the popular teacher formally known as Mr. Evans for physical education class.

But that will all change starting next fall.

Evans recently announced his retirement, sparking the school to set up a surprise party on Friday to say thank you to an individual who has brought so much to the school community for more than three decades.

“This is the start to a new chapter in my life,” Evans said. “Obviously, I’ll miss the kids. It will be tough for me come next September.”

Evans will now look to enjoy his full retirement, as he retired as a firefighter in the Warwick Fire Department 10 years ago.

In addition to the students, colleagues and family that were in attendance on Friday were a handful of Evans’ former colleagues from the Warwick Fire Department, which understandably meant a lot to Evans.

“I was honored,” Evans said. “It was nice to have both intertwined because they’ve both been a big part of my life.”

Someone else who was in attendance was Sister Mary Angelus, who is a former principal of St. Peter’s. Angelus hired Evans 33 years ago, and she’s happy she did.

“When I interviewed him, I just knew that it was right,” Angelus said. “He loves the children. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to replace him completely.”

Evans was known for never cutting any corners and always putting his all into his work.

If the students had to attend a mass, a class or two would miss their scheduled gym time. However, Evans would always be willing to take multiple classes throughout the day to ensure that all classes were given ample time for physical education class.

He did it because he truly loved the kids.

“He never missed a day and all of his energy went into making it fun for the kids,” Anne Robinson, St. Peter’s first-grade teacher, said. “He will be sorely missed.”

The students presented Evans with a cake, half commemorating his retirement and the other half his birthday. They also presented him with gifts, one of which was a golf bag – an item that will come in handy throughout Evans’ retirement years.

Evans and his wife, Peggy, plan on traveling a bit, particularly in the winter, as they’ll attempt to elude the frigid months in New England.

“We’re going to be snowbirds,” Evans said. “I don’t know if I’ll follow the Red Sox, but I’ll certainly follow the Yankees at Spring Training.”

As Evans enjoys some well-deserved time off, he will certainly be missed come September.

He simply became part of St. Peter’s during his time there.

“It was one of the best choices I’ve made in selecting a teacher for our school,” Angelus said.