Marble Cliff resident and active community volunteer Heidi Varner’s Columbus roots run deep.
Her great-grandfather Nicholas Harris, Sr. started Harris Opticians on East Broad Street in 1897. Varner, of German heritage, remembers many happy times spent with family and the Kinderchor at the Columbus Maennerchor, a German club and singing society on South High Street.
Varner’s family has lived in the Tri-Village area for many years. Her father, Franz Harris, was raised in Upper Arlington, and her mother, Sharon (Snee) Harris, grew up in Grandview Heights.
Not only did Varner’s mother graduate from Grandview Heights High School in 1964, but so did her three aunts, Donna (’48), Nancy (’51) and Janice (’67).
“Although I was born in Columbus, we moved to Grandview when I was 3, and I completed all 13 grades in Grandview schools, graduating from GHHS in 1984,” Varner says.
Upon graduating high school, Varner attended Miami University and earned her B.S. in education.
Following graduation, Varner taught near Washington, D.C. for two years before returning to Columbus and reconnecting with Arthur Varner, who she knew from college.
“He was in medical school at Ohio State,” Varner says. “We married in 1992 and then moved to Cleveland, where he joined an allergy practice.”
While in Cleveland, the Varners started their family, and Varner earned her master’s degree in reading from John Carroll University. She also worked at John Carroll helping to implement the “Reading First Ohio” initiative in area schools.
Her husband’s job change and a desire to be closer to family eventually brought the Varners back to Columbus, where Varner continued her teaching career working for an online school teaching reading to home-schooled children.
“In 2008, we moved to Cambridge Boulevard in Marble Cliff after searching long and hard to find the perfect location to raise our family. I had lots of friends in the area, and two of my GHHS ’84 classmates live in Marble Cliff,” Varner says.
Varner’s children have all followed in her footsteps, attending Grandview Heights City Schools. Madeleine, now 20, attends Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she is studying fine arts and computer science. Grant was a member of GHHS’ 100th graduating class and will attend Brown University, where he plans to major in business and play football. Gretchen has completed her sophomore year at GHHS, where she swims, acts and participates in the vocal music program.
Varner has remained connected to the district through her involvement with the Middle School Fun Fair and the PTO, where she is completing her third year as president.
Through PTO, Varner and other volunteers started a speaker series for students and parents. The organization works closely with GHHS Principal Ken Chaffin, Varner says.
“When we find a need, the PTO tries to address and fill that need,” she says.
Varner also serves on the high school’s Chief Academic Officer’s Teaching and Learning Liaison Committee.
In addition to her involvement with Grandview schools, Varner has also preserved her love of reading. She is starting her second year of training in the Orton-Gillingham method of reading instruction for dyslexic children at the Children’s Dyslexia Center in Dublin. The center, a philanthropic project of the Scottish Rite Masons, provides specialized reading instruction to students with severe reading challenges. As part of the curriculum and training, Varner tutors two students.
“I love teaching and believe my mission is to help any child read. Reading and writing are fundamental to everything we do,” Varner says.
Varner has also taught Sunday school at Our Lady of Victory. When she’s not teaching or volunteering with the school district, she enjoys gardening and reading.
“I am an avid user of the Grandview Heights Public Library,” she says.
Throughout her time living in Marble Cliff, Varner has seen many young families come to the community and join long-time residents here.
“We are grateful and feel blessed to be part of this beautiful community,” she says.
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