This month’s Resident Feature is the story of a principal and a teacher who met on a blind date and fell in love. Dana and Bill are two passionate educators who are raising their three children here in Broomall. Their dedication to their family, their students and the Marple community shows in everything they do.
Back in 2008, Dana and Bill’s friends set them up on a date at Maggie O’Neill’s in Drexel Hill. “Mutual friends of ours thought we’d hit it off, and we really did,” said Dana. At the time Dana was teaching in the Upper Darby School District and Bill was Principal at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop
Prendergast. Dana said Bill got the seal of approval from her dad right away. “They’re both Bonner grads!” said Dana. “After only our first date, my dad said: ‘you’re going to marry this guy!” Father knows best, as they say! The couple married in 2011 at St. Eugene’s in Primos followed by a reception at the Inn at Mendenhall Chadds Ford.
Both Bill and Dana grew up in Delaware County. Bill is from Swarthmore where he lived with his parents and sister Susan. He attended St. John Chrysotom in Wallingford and later St. James High School and then Bonner High School, where he played football, ran track and was a member of the community service corps. Sports were always a big part of childhood, including CYO basketball and track. He was also a cub scout and later a
boy scout. Sports are still a big part of Bill’s life as he has enjoyed years of coaching and being an avid Philadelphia sports fan.
After high school, Bill attended Penn State University and earned a degree in Communications with a minor in Business. Bill coached Bonner football while he was a student at Penn State Brandywine, a role that led to his passion for coaching and teaching. “After I transferred to Penn State main campus, I realized how much I missed coaching,” Bill explained. “I knew then that becoming a teacher was something I’d want to pursue.”
In his early professional career, Bill was in outside sales then transitioned to teach Business and Technology and coach football and track at Bonner High School. He later became assistant principal, then Principal at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School. During that time he also earned a Master’s of Science in Educational Leadership. After Bonner and Prendie, Bill became the Director of Technology, PreK-12, for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Today, Bill serves as the Director of Technology at Methacton School District. “I really enjoy working in a team environment to continuously discover ways to improve educational outcomes for students,” said Bill, who is also looking to pursue his doctorate degree someday.
Dana, the youngest of four children, is originally from Upper Darby. She attended Highland Park Elementary School, Beverly Hills Middle School and graduated from Upper Darby High School. As a kid, Dana loved playing field hockey and later as a student at Upper Darby she became involved in TV and radio production and part of the school’s televised news program.
Growing up Dana spent a lot of time babysitting and always enjoyed working with kids. Although she began her college career at Temple University as a Communications major, her passion for working with children and teaching led her to shift her focus to education. In 2004, she graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education from Temple and 10 years later, earned a Master’s of Education from Cabrini College.
For several years after college, Dana taught in the Upper Darby School district, first at Aronimink Elementary, then Drexel Hill Middle School and later Stonehurst Elementary where she taught second grade. In 2014 after her second child was born she made the decision to take some time off to raise her children. “I could not sit still for long and was looking for a way to contribute financially to the family,” she explained. For several years she ran an in-home daycare before returning to teaching and in 2021 landed at St. Annie’s to teach third grade. “I went back in the later part of the pandemic and filled in for a teacher on maternity leave,” Dana explained. “I realized how much I missed teaching.”
Dana currently works as a Pre-K teacher at Ss. Coleman John-Neumann Catholic School in Bryn Mawr, which is actually where she started her teaching career back in 2007 as a third grade teacher. “It’s funny how I started my education career at a Catholic school before switching to public education in Upper Darby to only come back full circle after all these years!” she said.
Now as a Pre-K teacher she loves seeing the progress and growth of Pre-K children from September to June. She also loves running into current and former students. “I’m feeling my age though as I am now old enough to be their mothers,” she said jokingly. What Dana finds especially rewarding is when a student finds her on Facebook and shares a special memory about when they had her as a teacher. “I always love hearing what they are up to in life when they’ve reached adulthood,” she added. Now a mom of three, Dana hopes to continue teaching while raising her children. “My hope is to continue to strengthen Catholic education and education as a whole.”
Dana and Bill’s early married life began in Clifton Heights in what Dana lovingly referred to as “Bill’s bachelor pad.” When their second child was born in 2014 they began looking for more space and found the perfect home in the Rosetree Woods section of Broomall. Since then they’ve found they could not ask for a better community. “Our neighbors are wonderful, kind hearted people,” said Dana. “They’re always looking to lend a hand or a stick of butter.”
From the St. Anastasia School to the Marple Township Little League, Dana and Bill are both actively involved in the community that their three children Will, Layla and Luke are a part of. Bill has coached a number of local teams for all three of their children, is a member of St. Anastasia’s CYO board and the secretary for Marple Township Little League board of directors. Dana enjoys volunteering any chance she gets at St. Anastasia for field trips, lunch duty and classroom events. She also tutors students after school and in the summer and gets involved in many nonprofit organizations. Some of her latest passions include Luciano’s Light Foundation, A Lily for the World, St. Jude and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
All three of Bill and Dana’s children attend St. Anastasia’s School. “We love the St. Anastasia community,” said Dana. “Bill and I are both passionate about Catholic education. We love the spiritual aspect and the strong family based environment.” Their oldest, Will, is a fifth grader there. Will was born in 2013, a little over a year after their wedding. “During our wedding Dana prayed to the blessed mother for children,” said Bill. “Less than six months later, we were pregnant with Will!” Will’s parents describe him as sweet, kind, smart and athletic. “He’s a heartthrob for sure,” said Dana. “He’s got dimples to kill!” A history buff, social studies is one his favorite subjects. Outside of school he is active in sports, including baseball,
football and basketball and he loves Fortnite and hanging with his buddies. “He’s a great friend to his peers,” Dana added.
Layla Christine is the middle Brannick child and she’s charismatic and sassy. “Layla is named after her godmother and earned the nickname “LC,” said Dana. “She is kind and loving and loves Starbucks, skincare and anything pink-related.” A fourth grader, Layla is athletic and plays softball, basketball, lacrosse and field hockey. In her free time she loves riding her bike and going to the pool or the beach.
The youngest Brannick is seven-year-old Luke, also known as Luke the Duke, Lukey, Lukers and “boss baby.” Dana said most days you will find Luke shooting hoops or swinging his bat. He loves anything sports related, especially baseball, basketball and football. He’s currently in first grade at St. Annies.“Luke is really smart,” said Dana. “He’s very business minded when it comes to school. But at home and with his friends, he’s a total goof!”
Dana and Bill call their golden retriever/lab Daisy their fourth child. “Our joke about kids was always two, four or more!” said Dana. “We didn’t want an odd number, so we got a fur baby to complete our pack.” When Luke was just a year old, Dana and Bill drove through an awful rainstorm in their mini-van to pick up Daisy in Lancaster. “She sat on my lap the entire white knuckle trip home due to horrendous weather conditions during a nasty storm,” she explained. “This was mom’s “mothers day gift” for 2017,” added Bill. “A fur baby to add to the bunch with kids ranging from the ages of four, three and a one-year-old toddler!” A wonderful family dog, Dana said that is as long as you can keep up with her. “When I walk her up the street people often stop and say ‘who’s walking who!?’” she said, jokingly.
For all of the Brannicks, quality time with family and friends and making time for their faith is a priority. They said, “Whether it’s on the field or in the neighborhood, we just enjoy the company of our friends and neighbors here in Marple!”
Do you know a Marple family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.