Wynn the tutor

I had the pleasure of growing up with Wynn and Scott since birth. Wynn’s parents, Sherry and Perry, are my godparents just as my parents, Milton and Elizabeth, are Wynn and Scott’s godparents. I have many fond memories of Christmas celebrations and slumber parties with Wynn and Scott as a child. I remember the day Sherry and Perry bought Wynn the first Apple computer produced. The rest of my childhood memories of Wynn are of him working on the computer.

During Wynn’s celebration party last night, the comments of one of his neighbors struck a chord with me. Wynn’s neighbor said that the most meaningful comment Wynn said to him was “I have faith in you.”

That comment stirs a memory when I was about the same age as Wynn’s neighbor. I was a senior in high school taking a physics class. The final exam was right around the corner and there were a few theories that I had a hard time wrapping my brain around. Since I’m not a science type of guy, I called Rice University knowing that I would find plenty of smart science students who could tutor me. The first tutor was a disaster – very arrogant and bored with my questions. The second tutor was very nice, but essentially completed all of my homework for me without fully explaining the reasons for the answers. I needed larger questions answered and was resolved to accept the fact that those questions wouldn’t be answered before the exam.

Then, my Mom suggested that I call Wynn, who was also a student at Rice. I called Wynn and he was more than happy to come over and assist me. The next day Wynn arrived and after spending some time catching up with my parents, we sat down at my desk. I’ll never forget that tutor session. Wynn said, “So, how can I help you?” I told him the theories that I was struggling to understand and he warmly listened with a smile on his face. He then continued to ask me more questions regarding what I thought about the perspective of certain physicists and how did I think they came to certain conclusions.

Unlike the other tutors, Wynn continued to ask what I thought, instead of telling me the answer. He stretched my mind farther than anyone had at that time in my life. And while we were discussing various theories, I remember light bulbs going off in my head. Throughout our discussion, Wynn was brilliantly guiding me to ask questions in which I came to my own conclusions. That leaning process was a very powerful experience for me.

Throughout the two hours we talked, Wynn never picked up a pencil and we never opened a book. In fact, I never wrote down a single word or number. Instead we just talked and talked and talked. Wynn’s last comment is what still sticks with me today. At the end of our conversation, Wynn slapped me on the back and said, “Man, you know this stuff. You’ll do fine.” That comment gave me so much confidence. If Wynn Martin had faith in me, then I would do fine. A few days later I took the physics test and made an ‘A’, thanks to Wynn’s insight.

Ten years passed before I saw Wynn again at my wedding. I saw him again at Scott’s wedding and ran into him a couple of times in Houston the past year.

I’ll always remember Wynn as a unique and hilarious man who added so much love to the world.

Thank you, Wynn.

- Tom Morin