By Bill Shearman

One of the most revered nicknames in American literature is “Boo.” Author Harper Lee used that nickname in her classic “To Kill A Mockingbird,” for the character, Arthur “Boo” Radley.

Boo Radley was a mysterious, secondary character in “Mockingbird,” until the conclusion when he is catapulted into heroism by saving two children’s lives.

The Rev. Francis “Boo” Creveling Kay has spent her entire career enriching the minds and hearts of thousands of children as a teacher, principal and now-priest at the Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School (EDS) and the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

She began a career at EDS in 1970 – and never left. That was 55 years ago. She grew the school — and the school and the church grew her.

Francis’ father, Don, contracted tuberculosis from silica inhalation as a mining engineer. He survived (see sidebar) but was remanded to a COVID-protocol: no crowds, no public appearances, near-isolation. He lived a somewhat cloistered existence at the family’s home on Prien Lake, an idyllic setting.

Francis, the fourth child of Don and Ellanora, spent hours playing Hide and Go Seek with her father. As she devised hiding places on the screen porch, Don would find her and yell “Boo.” Boo stuck.

After a public education in Calcasieu Parish schools, Boo completed an education degree in three and a half years at LSU. After one semester at Frasch Elementary, she noticed an opening at EDS.

Boo’s sister-in-law told her to interview, that she “Would fall in love with the place.” Truer words were never spoken and the “place,” fell in love with her.

That was a busy year. She got the job at EDS, married George Lewis “Chip” Kay and started thinking, umm maybe babies. Denis in 1972; Donald in 1974 and Brian in 1979.

How do you balance a busy job and motherhood: “With lots of help. I breast-fed the boys so that timing was tricky. But I brought them to EDS when they were 4 so things eased up a lot,” Boo said.

In 1970, EDS only went to the sixth grade. But EDS had a fairy godmother who saw the vision. “Violet (Hardtner Howell) said we needed a high school. She was quiet and dignified but in her own special way, she was a force,” said Boo.

The high school vision got traction but needed a location; EDS was landlocked on Kirkman Street. Meanwhile, a spiritual awakening with Boo was also getting traction.

“God calls you and He doesn’t let you go,” said Boo. In 1986, she became the principal at EDS and in 2000, she became a deacon, a baby priest in the Episcopal Church.

“The church’s main outreach is the school; I saw that. Our mission statement is providing academic excellence to a diverse student body in a Christian environment,” said Boo.

“I served as a deacon for 15 years and the (Rev.) Mark Holland encouraged me to go ahead and become a priest. I attended the Bishop’s School for Ministry on two campus’ for three years and went to Sewanee (Episcopal Church seminary in Tenn.) twice a year,” said Boo.

She was ordained as a priest on June 22, 2014. Meanwhile the Stream Family had given EDS 20 acres at Graywood and the school bought 20 acres and the EDS South campus was born. Boo was the head cheerleader and principal fundraiser.

The south campus opened in 2020 and in 2025, the school had their first graduating class with — appropriately — seven students.

All three of her sons are college graduates, happily married and have blessed Boo with six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. And most importantly, they all live here – “A true blessing,” says Boo.

After retirement June 30, Boo will rotate being a priest at Good Shepherd, an Episcopal chapel at Old Settlement and St. Andrews in Moss Bluff.

What else: “The hobbies I’ve neglected and I’ll spend more time with my family (Chip died April 12, 2017, of a heart attack). Her replacement Nicole Justice comes on board then. “I hope she’s a younger me; its exciting to watch.

“And I’ll always be on call,” she says with her trademark grin.

“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21.

a

World War II intensified medical research into antibiotics that might counter infections. Penicillin was one and streptomycin was another, developed in 1943.

Both drugs, still in their infancies, were rushed to the U.S. fronts in Europe and the South Pacific. No one knew the exact dosages but infection was ravaging U.S. soldiers and anything was better than nothing.

As the allies headed north in Italy, three men were horribly wounded, including Robert J. Dole, an Army lieutenant, who was paralyzed from the neck down.

When the medics found Dole, they gave him a massive dose of morphine and wrote an “M” on his forehead in his own blood. This was a sign to other medics that another dose of morphine would kill him.

All three men were administered streptomycin. The first one died and the second one lived but was blinded. Dole was dying and was administered copious injections of streptomycin and, miraculously, lived for a long time.

Don Creveling, Boo’s father, lost a lung and parts of the other lung to tuberculosis, which was going to kill him. He was administered streptomycin which saved his life and prolonged it for a long time.

a

When our son, Chris, was in fifth grade at EDS (1991), I heard a radio spot that said The Rolling Stones would be in concert on a Sunday night in the Superdome. I bought three tickets as soon as I could get to a phone.

Inasmuch as this was a school night, Sue packed Chris’ EDS uniform. We stopped at LSU to pick up our other son, then headed to the Dome. After the concert, we headed back to Baton Rouge where Chris and I slept on the floor of our son’s apartment.

That Monday morning, I called EDS to say Chris “felt badly,” but would be back at school by lunchtime. We were headed back to Lake Charles when I asked Chris if he’d forgotten his Rolling Stones’ t-shirt, which he’d slept in.

He said “Oh no,” that he had it on under his EDS uniform. After an argument driving along the Interstate, we compromised; he took off his Rolling Stones t-shirt and I gave him the canceled concert tickets. He had already said he was not going along with any vows of secrecy about his recent whereabouts.

When he walked into the EDS office to sign in, Boo asked Chris if he “felt better?” His booming response, to an office full of people, was “I feel GREAT! I saw the Rolling Stones last night in the Superdome!”

Back at work, my phone rang and it was Boo, laughing deliriously.

She recanted Chris’ conversation and said that I had been voted coolest dad. I may have abetted child truancy, but hey, it was only rock n’ roll.