Churchill Community Remembers Late Teacher

Students, staff and parents at set up a memorial fund and are collecting donations in honor of the .

An announcement with information regarding the fund was sent out using the school announcement system, BLIPS:

"For Craig’s family, we are beginning to collect donations to be used in two ways. First, a portion of the monies collected will be given to Mrs. Whyte to start a scholarship fund for their two daughters. The second portion of funding will be devoted to buying specific gift cards to local grocery stores, CVS, Kohl’s, and possibly a gas station," the announcement said.

Craig Whyte, a math and calculus teacher at the school for nine years, died Nov. 15. The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Baltimore declared the death a suicide by asphyxiation, as reported by the Gazette.

The school community reacted with surprise, according to Parent Teacher Student Association president Geri Shapiro, as well as another emotion she said she couldn’t quite name.

“Everybody knew he was not well but they didn't know that this was even an option," Shapiro said. 

Emily Potter, a junior at WCHS, said Whyte was a popular teacher among students.

"All of the kids who had him loved him," Potter said. "A couple of kids who had him said that he made them love math."

While Whyte's memorial service was a week ago, Potter said the loss still weighs on the school. "When people mention his name the mood is still pretty somber," she said.

A testament to Whyte's popularity can be found on a teacher rating website, ratemyteachers.com, where students have begun to post their memories of Whyte. 

One comment, posted on Nov. 17, the day after students learned of Whyte's passing, reads, "Mr. Whyte was one of the most amazing teachers I have ever had. He seemed to not only be interested in the subject he was teaching, but he cared about making his students understand. The world lost an amazing man, teacher, and friend with his passing."

Another, posted Nov. 16, reads "[Whyte was the] greatest teacher I had while at Churchill, made everything easy to understand, and made me laugh even when I was having a bad day."

According to Shapiro the memorial fund was initiated by the math department, headed by Curtis Southworth.

The teachers were very interested in donations for the family, Whyte’s wife, a stay-at-home-mom, and their two young daughters, Shapiro said.

Checks to the memorial fund can be made payable to Winston Churchill High School with the subject “The Whyte Memorial Fund" and can be submitted to the school’s financial office or math resources office, according to the announcement. The PTSA is also creating a dedication brick to be placed at the school in Whyte's honor.