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North Davis students mourn beloved teacher
By Bryon SaxtonCLEARFIELD -- Rock 'n' roll looks, laid-back disposition and an ability to relate with teens made substitute teacher Timothy White one of the most popular guys at North Davis Junior High.
White, 48, died Friday at Layton's Davis Hospital and Medical Center, after a heart attack.
It was apparent the bass guitarist/substitute teacher left behind many broken hearts at the Clearfield school. Davis School District sent grief counselors to the school where White had regularly substituted for the past four years.
Students, organizing through forwarded text messages, showed up at school Monday wearing white in White's honor. About 40 percent of the student body participated in the tribute, a student said.
"(White) was always the most popular (person)," said Amy Webster, an eighth-grader at the school.
"He loved us kids," said the 13-year-old, who was also a neighbor to White.
Amy said White inspired students to learn but allowed them to talk freely among themselves while doing a project in class.
White, who performed under the stage name Timmy Champagne in the rock bands Aerial and Megattack, also caught the eye of many students when he did a benefit concert at the school in the spring of 2008 to raise funds to fight cystic fibrosis.
"I can't think of anyone I know who didn't like him," Amy said.
Student Esaia Soifua said even when White wasn't his teacher, White would talk to him in the halls, telling him of the positive influence he could have on other students as a leader.
Upon first hearing word Friday during school that White had died, 14-year-old Esaia said he cried.
"I almost didn't believe it at first," said Esaia, who was dressed in white from head to toe. "I had to cry, too."
Four grievance counselors were at the junior high on Monday, district spokesman Chris Williams said.
Counselors were also at the school Friday to meet with about 40 grieving students, Williams said. "It says a lot for a substitute teacher."
As popular as White was with students, he was equally popular with faculty, being the first substitute the teachers wanted called when they were going to be absent.
"Every teacher made sure that he was one of their first contacts," Principal Curtis Stromberg said.
Each time White was called to substitute, Stromberg said, he would walk past his office, salute him and refer to him as admiral.
The one thing White was able to do was relate to the different students at the school, said Brian Hunt, assistant principal.
"It wasn't just 10 to 15 to 20 kids affected (by the death)," Stromberg said. "It was the whole school. He was everywhere."
Including the Oprah Winfrey show.
In 2003, White and his wife, Wendy White, appeared on the show for a makeover that ended up taking a combined 6 feet of hair from the pair.
Wendy White said her husband's main profession was music, but when his music career began to slow, he started teaching.
Since his death Friday, his My Space page has had more than 2,000 hits, many from students he taught, said Wendy White, who was married to him for nearly 18 years.
"Everywhere we went, (students) would see him and say 'Mr. White,' " she said.
White has a daughter, Shaleese White, who attends Clearfield High School, and three older sons.
A caller to the Standard-Examiner reported that many Clearfield High students also dressed in white to honor the man.
Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lindquist Layton Mortuary.
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he was the greatest teacher in the world and now that he is gone he will never be forgoten again!
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