In Memory of John Little
By: Valerie Park
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Posted by parkv Mon Jun 2, 2008 14:25:50 PDT
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As most school staffs are closing down their classrooms and schools, our school staff is facing a tragedy. The Planz Elementary School staff is mourning the loss of one of its family members. John Little, one of our 5th grade teachers, passed away on the evening of Friday, May 30, 2008 in a motorcycle accident.
John Little was nothing short of a treasure to his students, our staff, his family, and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him. He was part of our Planz family for three years; prior to that he taught for one year at Emerson. We at Planz knew him to be a wonderful man and teacher. John had a sense of humor and a way about him that put everyone in his presence at ease. He made people feel valued. John had a calmness about him that made people feel safe.
At one point this year, Planz had a school lockdown. John was with his fifth grade team at training on campus when the lockdown occurred. At one point during the lockdown, someone tried to get into our room. John rushed to the door with his team and demanded that that person identify himself. He could be ferocious when he needed to protect his friends. We considered him a hero.
John was always willing to participate in school activities without complaint. If something needed to be done, he would work tirelessly for our students and school. At the end of the year carnival, John and his fiancée, Dawna, worked the ticket booth for the entire length of the carnival; smiling and greeting our school families.
We could always count on John to show his Panther Pride. At the Perfection on Wheels assembly last year, he volunteered to be part of a stunt. John had to stand up on a 5 foot high ramp and allow one of the riders to jump over him! He did this without blinking an eye. With his six foot height, his students thought this was the bravest thing ever!
John loved to surf. He spoke of surfing many times. One of his favorite songs was “Life is Wonderful.” He also loved horticulture, and he shared that love and enthusiasm with our GATE students during his floral arranging classes after school. He was always willing to provide beautiful corsages for our annual Father-Daughter dances. John also provided roses for our staff Rose Ceremonies.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his friends, and his students. John Little will be greatly missed. One of the hardest things to do in life is to say goodbye to someone that you love. Our staff is facing this loss together. We love John, and will miss him dearly. His smile, his spirit, and his kindness will always be remembered. Once a Panther, always a Panther.
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