Faces of the Valley: Beloved Deer Lakes teaching couple to say goodbye after long,

Craig Taliani gets a bit emotional when thinking about what the Deer Lakes School District has meant to him and his family.

He thinks about meeting his now-wife, Lisa, in a high school teachers lounge in 1991 while he was a day-to-day substitute and she was in her first year of teaching.

He recalls a 15-season successful career coaching varsity softball for the Lancers, highlighted by coaching his two daughters, Maria and Katrina.

And 2016 was a special year, having his family all under one roof at the high school.

Those memories make Lisa and Craig’s retirement from the district — each capping a nearly 35-year career in public education — at the end of this school year that much more bittersweet.

“All of our memories surround Deer Lakes,” Lisa said.

“I don’t think I’ll ever not be able to say, ‘I’m a teacher at Deer Lakes,’ because I’m proud of it.”

Their careers

Craig graduated from Deer Lakes in 1984 and, as a student, was influenced by his teachers to pursue a career in education.

“They were old-school but good teachers,” said Craig, 58. “They set a good example in the classroom.”

Teaching also was a way to use history, an interest of his, as a career path.

Lisa, 57, graduated from Butler Area High School and “had no idea where West Deer was.” Her original contract with Deer Lakes was for one year, but she says she was “fortunate enough to stay here.”

Lisa is an English teacher and the high school gifted support teacher.

Lisa and Craig met in 1991.

They had lunch together, and she remembers asking where Craig lived. She remembers him telling her, “a 9-iron away.”

They started dating and eventually married on Aug. 5, 1995.

“It’s been a great experience,” Lisa said. “I think we’re proud Lancers.”

Craig took a full-time history teaching job at Grove City Area High School, where he stayed for a decade. When a job became available at Deer Lakes in 2003, Craig said applying for the position was a “no-brainer.”

“When a job opened up, I had to come back,” he said.

The decision to retire came from a conversation in a swimming pool on Labor Day, Lisa said.

“We’re not running out of here,” she said. “We’re leaving when things are good. … We’re happy and healthy. We’ve had a good time with the kids. It’s time to go.”

Their lives

It’s been difficult to tell when the school day ends and the family’s personal life begins, Lisa said.

The Talianis live a quarter-mile away from Deer Lakes High School in West Deer.

Their older daughter, Maria, graduated from Deer Lakes in 2016 and played college softball at Gannon University. She now lives in Nashville.

Katrina graduated from Deer Lakes in 2019 and recently earned a nursing degree from Duquesne University.

“We really loved having our daughters here,” Lisa said. “Everybody had that shared experience. We got to see them in ways that most parents don’t see.”

Both daughters played Lancers softball under Craig’s leadership. In 2016, all four Talianis were under the same roof at the high school.

“It was pretty special to have everyone together at the building,” Craig said.

During Craig’s tenure, he amassed a 204-78 record with two WPIAL titles, three WPIAL runner-ups and a state tournament runner-up.

“There were a lot of good memories from those years,” Lisa said.

Working together enables Lisa and Craig to know what each other is going through, Craig said. Asked whether there were any challenges of working together, the couple couldn’t come up with any.

They also give each other space during the school day.

Their classrooms are two short hallways away — at one time, they were side-by-side — and Lisa jokes she can hear when Craig sneezes from his classroom.

They also don’t travel to school together. Lisa likes to get to school a little earlier than Craig.

The couple working together has never been an issue for their co-workers or students.

“It’s enjoyable to see that people like your spouse. When people like your spouse, it feels good,” Lisa said.

Craig believes the couple is the first in Deer Lakes’ history to have taught and retired together. Aside from a few years in the late 1980s or early ‘90s, their extended family has been involved with the school district, either as students or employees.

Ryan Aleski, principal of the high school, said during his nine-year career with the district, Lisa and Craig have been the most passionate Deer Lakes supporters.

“Their unique ability to connect with all students sets them apart,” Aleski said. “They are frequently seen at various school events, whether it’s softball, basketball, musicals or choir concerts. Their dedication and love for the community and district are truly irreplaceable.”

Proud Lancers

The school district has been good to the Talianis, Lisa said, and it’s a challenge to pinpoint a certain memory from their careers that will stick with them.

Lisa recalled early in her career where the school would host an assembly benefiting Children’s Hospital the day before winter break.

Now, she said, some students tend to be absent from school the day before the long break. But back then, the day was popular among both students and staff due to the fun activities and games planned. At its end, the school would present a check to Children’s Hospital representatives.

“What other job can you stop in the middle of your work day and go to an assembly?” she said. “It’s a fun thing.”

Craig — who prefaced the memory by joking he could discuss it now — remembered a…