Michael Henry Minor

Mr. Minor I would like to think that you are reading these words (and possibly grading them) from heaven. You were one of my favorite teachers. You gifted me with a love for reading and writing that has kept me buoyant through even the most terrible storms. Thanks Mike. Thanks for being a wonderful teacher.

I am learning of the loss of a great teacher only today and wish I could have attended the memorial. Mr. Minor was one of my favorite teachers at Stadium. He challenged me to go beyond the ordinary. He taught me how to write and how to study. His words of wisdom gave me a strong start when I left for college. You never knew what to expect when walking into his English class. I often felt transported beyond the walls of the "brown castle" into Shakespearian England or the jungle island...

Just learned that one of my favorite teachers passed away... Mike Minor taught me to write as an extension of myself (didn't see a lot of AP teachers challenging kids to "be caustic, be foul, write reality!" as he encouraged me to do) as opposed to plunking down what I thought others wanted to see. And after high school he helped point me to Missoula/The University of Montana when I needed a little direction. Two incredibly influential pieces of what I am today. Thanks, Mr. Minor

Betty, I just found out today about Michael's death. I have thought of both of you over the years and regretted that we had lost touch. Blessed Repose and Eternal Memory.

Margaret Loos

Dearest Betty,
Please accept my deepest sympathy at the death of your husband. Please know that your Visitation Sisters in Tyringham are praying for you and for his repose.

Mr. Minor was an amazing teacher, he was one of the few who inspired me to become a teacher as well. I will never forget him throwing erasers at those who dared fall asleep in his class.

Late In the summer of 1972, Michael, in his dramatic way, introduced himself to me by phone--the first direct-dialed international call I remember receiving. Charles and I and our kids, after a sabbatical year in Oxford, were finishing off with a month in London, and Michael phoned to tell me, as Betty's closest friend, a thing or two about himself and let me know that he and Betty were about to marry and launch on the first of their own travels abroad. Over the decades since that call,...

To Mr. Minor's family~ There are no words to express my deep sadness for you at this time. You already knew what a special gem he was and his students thank you for allowing us time with him. I always remember my time in his class fondly...

I knew Michael for almost forty years. He was a Falstaffian figure--quick-witted, enthusiastic, full of strong opinions emphatically expressed, a man of definite likes and dislikes, an indefatigable traveler, a life-long student, always open to and seeking new places, new ideas, new experiences. An unforgetable character, larger than life. I'll miss him.