He has seen thousands of students pass through the doors of his high school. He saw his world turn upside down again when his colon cancer returned in February. And today, he saw his school start under new leadership.

Dave Widenhofer was executive director of Concordia Lutheran High School for 16 years, a job comparable to a school superintendent. Over the summer, amid medical treatments, he stepped down from that position to continue his healing process and to spend more time with his wife.

After a special ceremony this morning, Terry Breininger, formerly executive director of the Concordia Educational Foundation, stepped in to fill his shoes.

“I think Concordia is in good hands,” Widenhofer said, as he now spends his days consulting for churches and schools, serving on local boards, taking it easy through chemotherapy treatments and playing golf, of course.

“Terry is a great guy. The only thing that's missing is he doesn't know how to play golf” - a joke between friends - Widenhofer said with a chuckle.

Breininger has been acting as interim executive director since Widenhofer retired, but he was to be installed officially into the position today during the school's chapel service.

“The good news is I think the school is very well-positioned by Dave,” Breininger said. “It's an opportunity, and I'm looking forward to it. … We're hoping to be able to take these first steps and project them out for 15 years.”

Breininger hopes to offer more educational opportunities to those at the high and low ends of the class, but not to forget those students in the middle. One of the ways he hopes to accomplish this is through the $1 million donation received in February from T. Paul Bulmahn, a 1961 graduate.

Breininger, an alum, returned to Concordia in 1974 as a religion teacher, chairman of the religion department and assistant principal.

After some years away, he came back to the school in November 2000 as the executive director of the Concordia Educational Foundation.