David Stoeri

Shrimpkin from Beloit, WI misses you. I am writing a book about a dragon. I am sure to get the golden paperclip award. Mr. S. will be included in my acknowledgements because he definitely sparked my creativity.

I was just thinking of him and decided to look him up and found out he passed. He was the best teacher I ever had! I was so honored when he came to my first wedding. Read his obit and you will know why I remember him with such fond memories. He was the main reason I became a teacher. I often thought while I was teaching Improv to sixth graders this summer W.W.M.S.D?
What would Mr. Stoeri do in this situation? He handled our class with humor and grace. I can hear him in my head when I do the same thing with my students. I found out one of my most difficult students loved the songs "Eye of the Tiger" and "Living on a Prayer" so I performed them with him during our class party. Mr. S. would have loved that. We finally connected and he gave me a big high five as he was leaving. Mr. Stoeri taught me that music is magic.

So sorry, I miss him and I never met him.

To the entire Stoeri Family, my sincere condolences. Dave would pop in and out of my life from Midland to Janesville, WI and points in between. The last time I saw him he had just finished a race in Janesville and we were catching up on our mothers ( and Kathy) in Midland along with the music world we both moved in, comparing gigs and booking a show for him. Just wow ! He brought so much joy to so many with the incredible insight of youth. While you miss him, celebrate what he brought in goodness.

Mr. Stoeri made such a difference in so many people´s lives. He was simply a beautiful human being. If only we could all give like he did. I am so lucky to have met him in 6th grade, and to have enjoyed all the love and kindness he shared. His legacy lives on. All the very best to his siblings and family who I am certain are equally amazing.

David's humorous personality touched my heart when our daughters were small. They were entertained at the Janesville Public Library by David and Roxanne. It was always a fun/funny opportunity to fall in love with music and words! Thank you David for all the smiles you brought to our family! Rest in peace, dear friend.

David´s organization of the camping trip of 12-13 year olds noted earlier reminds me of the yearly mailings we would do from Janesville, Wisconsin to an entire multi-state region´s worth of schools in search of music and storytelling bookings for him and Roxanne Neat. His leadership qualities propelled us through the stuffing and stickering that helped him and Roxanne find their way to venues for their talents and love of humanity. He also was my partner in helping me move from southern Wisconsin all the way up to the near-northernmost tip on Lake Superior in Ashland. We survived car trouble on the way and unloading the contents of a moving truck filled with the hefty collections of an amateur librarian and archivist - into a third-floor apartment! A memorable adventure with a great friend. RIP.

The impact Coach Stoeri has had on my life can not be measured. The memories of going to state finials one year to be followed the following to regional finials are priceless. Teaching hard work and teamwork are used daily in my life.

Dave and I rented and apartment together for a year in Bad Axe while he was teaching for a year. Right before that Dave, Mike and I drove a VW Van to Coeur d Alene ID. And worked as waiters for the summer then drove back to BA VIA Seattle, LA, Tijuana. Dave was really a neat person!!!!! Would have loved to have seen him again.

I'm also an alumni of the 6th grade in Bad Axe. Mr. Stoeri was an inspiration for me and he is the best teacher I've ever known. I remember my mom throwing away my "stew can" award because she thought it was just some old can. Hardly! That can was an award for "Stupendous Tidbits of Educational Wampum"! Thank you for all you have given!

Mr. Stoeri was my 6th grade teacher in Bad Axe and was the most influential teacher in my life. He made learning fun and made each sure each student knew they mattered. RIP Mr. Stoeri.

Mr. Stoeri was my favorite teacher of all time.

He was my sixth grade teacher in Bad Axe, and inspired me to become a teacher. He loved to teach, loved to learn, and he "saw" every kid and really did treat all kids equally.

Enormously creative and very funny. S.T.E.W, wykenfloss, jabberwocky, etc, etc.

May his memory be a blessing

Mr. Stoeri was my 6th grade teacher in Bad Axe. I just finished my 31st year as an English teacher. His joyful creativity, appreciation for diversity, and passionate respect for young people inspired me like no other adult did. His example led me to teach and he remains in my memory a compass of compassion for my own students. Over the years I have shared stories of him, especially when teaching students to write poems about people who inspired them. Some years ago I wrote this poem as a model for my students (linked below), which someone found on the Internet and shared with him at the time. I think he enjoyed it! Peace to you, Mr. Stoeri. You get the Golden Paperclip Award for Best Teacher Ever.

https://tinyurl.com/usmrc4tc

I will never forget The Wonderful World of Wyken Floss (don't hold me to the spelling)! In 1977 he was my reading teacher in Bad Axe. Most influential teacher I ever had. My condolences to his family.

I am in my 30th year of teaching because of Mr. Stoeri! He was my 6th grade teacher in Bad Axe. I thought of him often and his influence on me and my teaching - his footprints continue everywhere!

I'm sure many will say this, but David was my favorite teacher in 6th grade in Bad Axe. I have so many memories of him. We all loved him to pieces. We will miss you Mr. Stoeri.

Dave and I went to school together from elementary school through high school. Our birthdays were two days apart and we often sat near each other in class because our last names were close alphabetically. In Mrs. Lund´s 4th grade class, we were tested for musical aptitude and Dave got a perfect score. We both played trombone and Dave was usually first chair. I dropped out after 8th grade, but I believe Dave continued through high school along with athletics. I didn´t see Dave often after high school, but I remember him fondly as a kind, gentle man with a great sense of humor. I was blessed to know him, and I am sorry for his family´s loss.

Bill Stutesman

I have many great memories of Dave growing up in Midland. We were good friends through junior high school and then went our separate ways. I have fond thoughts of Dave when he was raising a brood of ducks, shooting a hunting arrow in town to see how high it would go, getting into trouble with his father, Mr. Stoeri, the principal of Northeast, his granfather and the wonderful smells in his house of italian cooking and going to swim meets to watch his big brother compete. My most poignant memory though has always been when four of us, 12-13 years old boys, rode our bikes north of Gladwin, and camped for a week on the Rifle River. Caught some trout, ate canned beans and sat around the campfire. A real "Stand By Me" event without the body. Dave organized it all. My heart goes out to his family and friends as he was truly one-of-a-kind.

I loved seeing Dave at the two high school reunions he attended. He was a fun, funny guy and I'm sure he was a great children's entertainer and elementary school teacher. He was a soft spoken student in high school and we shared lots of laughs in the senior classes we shared. I will miss seeing his friendly face at future reunions. RIP Dave.