Lee Ann Torlakson

I was a student in Ms. Torlakson´s English classes in the early 90´s. She and Ms. Stewart were my favorites! This will sound strange, but I am struck by how much Shakespeare and Steinbeck and Gatsby have kept popping up in my life in unexpected moments to help me out. I intend to introduce these friends to my daughter as soon as she is ready to meet them. This is your legacy, Ms. Torlakson - rest in peace.

I was a student at Lowell High School in the late '80's and early 90's. I can picture Ms. Torlakson in the classroom. She made a big impression on me. I appreciated her devotion to teaching and to her students. I am happy she lived such a full life aside from teaching. I am grateful for her presence in my life.

Mrs. Torlakson was one of my favorite high school teacher at Lowell. She encouraged me to break out of my shyness to read aloud plays and books in class. I remember reading The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire as well as books like The Sound And The Fury and A Separate Peace. I name these titles because they are indelibly printed in my memory because of the way Mrs. Torlakson taught them. She made the words come alive and let me feel safe enough to experiment with the way I read the...