I’m just beginning to get some of the photos from the Troy High memorial. There are only 3 right now, but you can expect more later. Check on this album for the photos: http://wittry.depoll.com/photos/v/troymemorial/
Furthermore, I’ve added a page where you can post your photos of Dave. Please only post respectfully. I will try to monitor this. The page can be found here (or as a link on the right side of this page): http://wittry.depoll.com/photos
I’ve just received word regarding a Southern CA memorial at Troy High School in Fullerton. The e-mail sent to the Troy Staff appears below with details about the service. Those who knew Dave are welcome.
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Troy Staff,
You are invited to join us in celebrating the life of our colleague Dave Wittry. On Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. we will meet in the Troy Lecture Hall for a time of reflections and memories and then head to the selected planter in the quad for our tree planting. You, your families, and any others that you want to share this with are invited.
And, thank you to those who have already made donations to Jody Wittry. She and the kids (Kaylin and Darren) appreciate your generous hearts. It has been difficult for them. They recently moved into a smaller apartment and are trying to make adjustments. The donations received in Taiwan were used to cover the costs of the funeral.
If you would still like to contribute, Jody has authorized her friend, Ms. Jo Chiang, in Irvine, CA to handle money for her. Checks can be made out to “Jody Wittry” and mailed to:Ms. Jo Chiang
1 Camellia
Irvine, CA 92620
Pat Roach will be sending Ms Jo Chiang some donations this week. If you would like yours to be included, there will be an envelope in her mailbox or you can call her at x4546 and she will be happy to pick it up.
Please forgive me as I read. I have thought about and planned what I want to say and the only way to accomplish that is if I read.
Let me first introduce myself. My name is Don Allen and I had the privilege of working with Dave at Troy High School for six years. Dave and I worked very close together as we both taught Computer Science. So I am here to talk about Dave the teacher, and Dave from Southern California.
Well, to think they gave a teacher only 3 to 5 minutes to talk about Dave. My students will never believe that I could only talk for less than five minutes, you see as a teacher I have been trained to talk in 57-minute increments. And on top of that, I feel like I have the weight of several thousand people on my shoulders as I fell like I am representing the several thousand students, coworkers and friends that were impacted by Dave’s life. So, while I will try, I apologize in advance for going a little long.
First, let me say I feel short changed. I want to talk about Dave the Person. What a wonderful friend, educator and coworker he was. As you may know, a former student set up a blog where students and friends can post their memories of Dave. To give you an idea of what the students though of him, I will take a few moments to read from those quotes.
First, in 2005 Dave was selected as Educator of the year by the Troy High School PTSA and I will some exerts from the award.
Your classroom is an active place where students feel free to learn and to question. You challenge them to succeed while at the same time nurturing them to learn.
Day after day you assist staff in the creation and development of meaningful courses of study.
Your concern for young people is continually demonstrated in your willingness to give whatever extra time it takes to help students who request assistance.
The Troy High School PTSA
And now from the students:
he made a significant impact on my life.
he and I embarked on a project that would become one of the most rewarding endeavors I’ve taken part.
Dave pushed me and encouraged me.
he led me and a group of students on a software project that had an impact on all our lives
he was blunt and rational, but always had the best interests of his students in mind.
And he never stopped caring.
For many, Mr. Wittry, was a great teacher.
To a great human being who touched many peoples’ lives: we will never forget you.
-David Poll
It’s difficult to describe the impact he’s had on my life. As a teacher, mentor, and friend, he guided me through some of the best times and the hardest times I had at Troy.
He truly encapsulated a balanced and whole person; truly he was an inspiration to us all.
Frank
Mr. Wittry literally gave me my direction
by Eric Lin
Even students who never had Dave as an instructor:
I never had you as a teacher, … I got to meet you; it was a faculty soccer game one random Friday night. … After that I rarely saw you, but when I did you would always say hi to me.
I am so, so, SO glad I had the chance to meet you and your family.
Amber
Mr Wittry changed the way I think about the world. I may not be a computer programmer, but the paradigms of Object Oriented Programming and efficiency I learned from Mr. Wittry affects the way I do so many simple, everyday things.
He was a great teacher,
Sarah Leach
Mr. Wittry inspired me
taught me how to work in the field. The time I spent with him was some of the best in my life.
Ari Wilson
He was very patient, and just explained things effortlessly
He was a wonderful teacher,
You are missed.
Nabila Bolisay
Mr. Wittry - you will be sorely missed.
Mr. Wittry was the best teacher I had at Troy - one of the best I’ve had ever.
I’m at a loss for words and no eulogy could do him justice anyway.
He is largely responsible for my success as a software engineer.
It was the preparation from his courses and in the variety of subjects he pioneered classes for that left me so overwhelmingly prepared for my major courses in college.
Thomas Bouldin
A former fellow student also posted:
He was smart, funny and always quick with a smile.
Posted by Ted Schuh Ted if you are here, thanks for the quote.
A small impression of what Dave meant to his students. To his coworkers Dave was:
Dave was the best co-worker and friend that anyone could imagine.
He was brilliant, yet humble
He had no personal agenda
- Laurie Downum
To fellow teachers he did not even know, he was source of a wealth of information. His web site is visited by many for his how to’s and the sample projects to be used in class.
To his friends, Dave was just great.
He was a source for how to get things done, especially with technology. Dave was driven to help others; he was convinced he could even teach the Luddites to successfully use and appreciate technology.
He was also an unofficial social director. He went out of his way to get people together to interact. He obviously love to bike ride and he was constantly looking to get people to ride together, even if others didn’t have a prayer of keeping up with him, he would stop often and make sure we were all together.
While I could never describe what Dave meant to some many people. And fully agreeing with the student earlier who said no eulogy could do Dave justice. I will simply close by saying: because of Dave
My life is better
His friends’ life is better
Education is a better
Computer Science is a better
And the World is a better place
Thank you Dave for all you did. We all will miss you!
[Posted to my LiveJournal as well; thanks for setting up this site, David Poll!]
As a student at Troy, I was in his classes almost every semester. Freshman year he taught our ICT class (one semester), then AP Computer Science A for the latter majority of our sophomore year (after Mr. Steele was put on involuntary administrative leave), and AP CS AB our junior year, and Robotics & Fuzzy Logic during the first semester of our senior year there.
As a teacher, he was one of the most patient and helpful persons I’ve ever known. If you were having trouble with something, he would repeat it as many times as you needed, in as many ways as he could think of just to ensure that you not only understood the concept, but had a strong mastery of it and could it apply it with confidence. If you had a question about something, he was available nearly 24/7 - you could grab him before or after a class, or could email him at any reasonable hour and expect a quick yet thorough response. He would sometimes spend an entire class period just explaining one or two minor, but important, details of our programming.
As a mentor, he encouraged us to better ourselves every single day. Not just in programming or CS, but in life as a whole. He would always urge us to challenge ourselves, break out of our “comfort zones,” so to speak. Sure, we could write code that does the assignment correctly, but how elegant could we make it? How could we apply algorithms and data types we were learning about to make our code simpler? How could we apply these to real life puzzles and situations?
He was a very witty and outgoing man. Nearly every day there was a geeky joke or comic strip on the whiteboard. He always had a smile and a funny story to share, and he could always make students laugh (at times, even at the expense of other students who themselves would laugh). He was one of the few teachers I’ve ever had who made the learning and workload not just tolerable, but fun. Interesting and enjoyable, day-in and day-out.
He positive demeanor and willingness to help those around him touched many lives. He was a great teacher, mentor, and father who cared deeply for his wife and two young children. He will be sorely missed; and I will keep his family in my prayers.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Wittry. The memories you have left with us past students and friends shall persist indefinitely; and in them, so shall you.
Dave was the best co-worker and friend that anyone could imagine. In memoriam, I’ve just made my own extensive list of contributions that he made to my professional and personal life. The highlights include many innovative ideas that the two of us implemented that streamline my job as Troy Tech Coordinator such as online registration, scantron grading, website development, etc. Dave was instrumental as Computer Science Department Chair in initially ranking Troy High School’s AP Computer Science courses among the top in the world according to the College Board. He was brilliant, yet humble which makes for an ideal colleague to brainstorm with because he had no personal agenda AND he was available via email 24/7. Some of my favorite moments with Dave were spent discussing inefficiencies and then designing an improvement. On a personal level, Dave was not just a hard worker, but a fun and witty friend. My husband and I enjoyed spending time with him, Jody, Kaylin, and Darren. He was a devoted dad, avid mountain biker, and connoisseur of Asian cuisine; we enjoyed many delicious meals with the family. As a past student of Dave’s mentioned, I have no doubt that he will “live on through each of us” because my day-to-day job at Troy has Dave’s thumbprint all over it.
In memory today, my family went to a restaurant that we had enjoyed with Dave’s family in the past. The dinner that we shared there included lots of noise from toddler Darren, but also lots of tasty seafood AND conversation.
And to David Poll, thank you for putting this forum together. I know Dave’s death is a deeply personal loss for you, yet you’ve had the strength to make this site; it is exactly the type of thing that Dave would have done for any of us were the circumstances in reverse. In my mind it is no coincidence that you share the same name – you truly are a young Dave Wittry and I have no doubt that your future pursuits will make him proud. Laurie Downum, Troy Tech Coordinator
I have just received information regarding how one can donate to Dave’s family. There are two funds: one for his childrens’ education and one for miscellaneous use by his wife and family. For information about how to donate please see the announcements page on the right.
I’ve just received details regarding the funeral service that will take place in Taiwan. Please see the Announements page (link on right) for more information.
I think a bit of all of us wants to deny Mr. Wittry is gone. I know I did not know how to react when I heard the news.
It’s difficult to describe the impact he’s had on my life. As a teacher, mentor, and friend, he guided me some of the best times and the hardest times I had at Troy.
From his teaching, you could tell Mr. Wittry was a passionate man. After getting to know Mr. Wittry more thoroughly outside of the classroom, you learned so much more.
You learned to appreciate his straight-forward speech. You learned appreciate his dry humor. You learned about his love of science, music, movies, fitness. You heard stories about his children.
He truly encapsulated a balanced and whole person; truly he was an inspiration to us all.
I want to wish past, present students, and most importantly his family my very best. May Mr. Wittry live on through each of us in our memories and actions.
Sincerely,
Frank
Mr. Wittry literally gave me my direction. When I came out of FOP, I went out thinking that I could program, but that it was horrific. The memory of programming Chess in C++ in a “traditional” manner was just too much. However, I decided to take AP Comp Sci anyways. First semester, I had him, and let me say he transformed programming into computer science right before my eyes. I was amazed. I found that things that seemed so hard before were so easy with just a bit of creativity and some snooping around on Google. I remember he said that if you can find it on the internet, you could use it in your lab. He was the one who actually encouraged me to do ACSL as well. We did quite well that year. He practically taught me as well as others all the comp sci we knew for the entirety of high school. I was very privileged in that sense, and I truly am grateful for what he did. I remember he was a very passionate biker. He even brought us Subway for ACSL practice ON his bike. And I think his energy and enthusiasm carried him on to the very end. He leaves behind many who care and love him, but I think he truly passed a happy man. May his soul rest with the comfort that those who remember him will pass his memory on.
I never had you as a teacher, so I don’t know what you were like in the walls of the classroom. But I do know what you were like outside of the classroom. I don’t remember when, but I do remember how I got to meet you; it was a faculty soccer game one random Friday night. Your daughter and son were playing on the side of the field, and I distinctively remember many students around me pointing at the two of them and saying how cute they were in their red uniforms. I forget why I decided to approach Kaylin and Darren, but somehow I ended up playing with the two of them. After the faculty game was over, Kaylin told me she wanted to find you and I took her and Darren over to you and some other teachers on the field. I remember we skipped. All three of us. I introduced myself to you, and then I got to meet your wife too. One of you asked me if I would like to babysit, and I gladly agreed — who wouldn’t? So Mrs. Wittry wrote my number down, and I skipped Kaylin and Darren back into the school building. I remember you asked me to babysit a Saturday night once, but I had to decline because something came up. After that I rarely saw you, but when I did you would always say hi to me. Occassionally you would be with Kaylin, who would look shyly up at me and not say anything. Sometimes I’d see her in the lunch line at school and say hi to her, and I remember being surprised at how loudly she said hi back. This may sound stupid, but I’m pretty sure her friends were jealous that a high school student knew her and said hi to her. I didn’t get to talk to you after I graduated, but I always thought I would go back to school to at least say hi and ask about Kaylin. I guess I won’t have a chance to any more, but I just want you to know that seeing you and Kaylin the hallways has always brightened up my day. She’s an awesome kid (as well as Darren) and I am so, so, SO glad I had the chance to meet all of you.
Cheers Mr. Wittry,
Amber
Mr Wittry changed the way I think about the world. I may not be a computer programmer, but the paradigms of OOP and efficiency I learned from Wittry affects the way I do so many simple, everyday things. He was a great teacher, and proved that those of us who are not mathematical or computer geniuses can still understand and enjoy Comp Sci.
Mr Wittry will live on in his children (who I hope are as cute in Halloween costumes as ever), his wife, friends, and the hundreds of students whose thinking and goals he has forever shaped.
“Where there was a person, a voice, a range and welter of experience compressed into lines and images, now there are only lines and images. Where there was a life, now there is a form. And the form, spoken, breathes of that life out into the world again. It restores a human presence, […] the turns of thought and of phrase, the habits of saying, that make those words unmistakeable.
Troy Tech would not be what it is today without Mr. Wittry. Only God knows how many students he has influenced with his dedication to teaching.
Mr. Wittry inspired me to be a computer science student and taught me how to work in the field. The time I spent in ACSL and doing programming contests and time with him was some of the best in my life. My best wishes go out in this hard time to his family.
I went to grad school with Dave at SIU (almost 20 years ago now). The folks who knew him then are simply stunned by the news of his death. He was smart, funny and always quick with a smile. It’s gratifying to know that he was able to pass on his passion for computer science and learning. “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
ICT was one of the more unique classes I took at Troy as a freshman, and I’m really glad that I took it with Mr. Wittry. He was very patient, and just explained things effortlessly. I was very intimidated with CompSci to begin with, but he had this very calm, kind manner that made him easy to approach for help. He was a wonderful teacher, but I could also see that he was an affectionate parent. I still remember coming into CompSciA during Halloween when he donned an all-out lion costume and brought his daughter along, who wore a cute safari outfit.
Mr. Wittry, thank you for being a patient teacher. I never got to know you, but it seems like your guidance and kindness always seem to touch all you have taught. You are missed.
Mr. Wittry - you will be sorely missed.
Mr. Wittry was the best teacher I had at Troy - one of the best I’ve had ever. Not only did he know his subject matter like any good professor, but he had a passion for teaching and for his students’ success.
I’m at a loss for words and no eulogy could do him justice anyway. IMO, he is the one responsible for the reputation of Troy’s CS program and is largely responsible for my success as a software engineer. It was the preparation from his courses and in the variety of subjects he pioneered classes for that left me so overwhelmingly prepared for my major courses in college.
Here is my post remembering Dave Wittry:
http://www.depoll.com/2008/02/in-memoriam-dave-wittry.html
I will miss you, Dave.