The year was 2004.

I’ll never forget the first home Windsor boy’s basketball game that year. Not because of the game, but because of the sounds from the game.

That sound came from Don Jeffries, the self-proclaimed “Voice of the Owls.”

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know how to take his announcing skills at first. I was a junior on the basketball team and Jeffries was in his first year of teaching at Windsor. While his announcing was definitely over the top, in a weird way, I really enjoyed it. If you were an opponent, you probably hated him. However, the home fans seemed to love it. Since the fans were always energized by his unique style, it carried over to the players.

“He brought so much energy to our games. He always got the fans into the game. That gave us a huge advantage in our home games,” former first-team all conference selection and 2006 graduate Tim Downey said.

Unfortunately, after 13 years as the announcer at home basketball games, Jeffries is leaving Windsor. He was recently named the head principal at Blair Oaks Middle School in Jefferson City.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Jeffries from day one since we started together. He truly bleeds brown and gold. It has to be a special place to earn Don’s dedication and devotion. Windsor’s loss is Blair Oaks gain!” teacher JoAnn Marty said.

While at Windsor, Jeffries not only made an impact in the classroom and as an announcer, but also as a coach. Jeffries has been the JV baseball coach for 13 years and has also coached football at various levels. He was also the newspaper adviser for The Vision while I was a student.

His mentorship led me to the University of Missouri Journalism School. While I technically didn’t get a job in the journalism field after graduating from Mizzou, it led me to his former teaching position as the English II/Journalism teacher. In a way, I have him to thank for getting my start in education.

So, after 13 years as a teacher and coach at Windsor, Jeffries is moving on.

There will be no more Don Jeffries’ lineup introductions that welcomed everyone “To the Owl’s Nest.”

There were no more infamous Don Jeffries’ calls, such as: “Steeeeeaaaaaal, drive and a layup,””Thhhhhhrrrrrrreeeeeeee” and “The free throw is good and that completes the old-fashioned three-point play.”

There will be nobody asking where the Final Four banner is for the 1992 Windsor baseball team–a team for which Jeffries played. If you know him, you’ve probably heard that a time or two.

While he is leaving a place that he has called home for much of his life, he did leave behind plenty of stories. For those who know Jeffries, everybody has a story to tell about him.

“I often feel like I know Mr. Jeffries so well that I could tell you what he would order at any fast food restaurant. As a matter of fact, in 2006, when the Cardinals were in the run for the World Series, I was personally responsible for purchasing 84 Big Macs for him that consisted only of ‘bun, meat, cheese and bun’,” Marty said