NEWBURYPORT — Almost six months after suffering a heart attack and stroke in a Newburyport Senior/Community Center classroom, art instructor William Duke made his joyous return Thursday afternoon.
“The last time I was here, I got a ride out (in an ambulance),” he said.
An artist who specializes in watercolors, Duke teaches art classes at Councils on Aging across the region.
But the Salisbury resident has been out of commission since April 30 when he collapsed while setting up for class in Newburyport. It turns out Duke suffered from an aortic dissection, which is a serious condition that occurs when the body’s main artery tears.
He was also having a stroke.
The 85-year-old was taken to Anna Jaques Hospital and then airlifted to a Boston area hospital.
“They told me I was going to Boston but I told them I couldn’t because I had stuff to do,” he said. “Then they told me, ‘You don’t get it, you’re going in the next 15 minutes.’”
Duke spent the next few months on a rehabilitation journey, which saw his daughter Shannon Nee move back to the area from Carlsbad, California, to take care of her father.
Many of Duke’s students also came together during his recovery to keep the spirit of his classes alive. They sent him letters and visited Duke at different rehab centers to remind him how much they missed and needed his guidance.
One student, Lisette Kaplowitz, called Duke a remarkable teacher who has inspired plenty of loyalty among his pupils.
“We love each other’s company and we’ve all become good friends,” she said.
Kaplowitz was one of a handful of Duke’s students who applauded as he rolled his wheelchair through the front doors of the Senior/Community Center about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
After welcoming him inside, the group headed up to their classroom to catch up among the smell of wet paint.
“This is a big day for me. I’m very excited,” student Stephanie Meegan said. “We didn’t know if he was going to survive. Then, we didn’t know if he was going to be able to draw again. Fortunately, his cognitive abilities have come back really well and very soon.”
Being able to see his students made Duke emotional even though Nee said her father typically doesn’t go that route.
“He’s a stoic kind of guy,” she said. “But I’m thrilled to see this. I’ve gotten to know all of his wonderful friends.”
Although he admitted having issues transferring from his wheelchair to other places, Duke said he’s feeling pretty good these days. He has also been creating some art along the way.
“Making it back from a stroke is considerable,” he said. “My penmanship is substandard but I can sketch a little.”
Meegan said she has been a student of Duke for many years and the two have become good friends.
“We’ve seen each other through a lot of ups and downs in our lives,” she said. “He’s the gentlest of teachers and he encourages us at every single turn.”
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.