Past and present students, school staff and community members are invited to celebrate the life and positive impact of Lynda Joyce Munro at Oxford High School’s Performing Arts Center Wednesday, Oct. 15 beginning at 7 p.m.
Munro, who passed away Oct. 2, 2008 at age 58 after battling bone cancer for a year-and-a-half, taught American and British literature, college writing and yearbook at OHS from August 2000 until December 2007, when her illness forced her to go on sick leave.
‘When you have the number of e-mails and calls that I received from students who are really despondent over her death, it tells you she was so much more to them than just this lady in the front of the classroom,? said Gina Sambuchi, the OHS language arts teacher who organized this event.
Sambuchi is expected to speak at the celebration of Munro’s life as well as fellow teacher Marsha Chapman, Principal Mike Schweig, OHS senior Bridgett Schultz and Munro’s son, Donald Reed Munro.
Although Munro, who resided in Rochester Hills, had been ill for a while, her death was sudden. That’s why Sambucci organized this event to give people an opportunity to come together and remember Munro.
‘A lot of people felt like there was a lack of closure,? she said. ‘I think in our profession today, with so many demands placed on us concerning test scores, that we forget the real impact that teachers, as people, have on students.?
For Sambuchi, Munro’s passing was more than the loss of a colleague who’s classroom used to be across the hall.
‘She was like a mentor to me,? she said. ‘I learned a lot from her professionally.?
When it came to her students, Munro felt they all could achieve, no matter what their background, and expected excellence from them both academically and behaviorally.
‘She had high standards for everybody,? Sambuchi said. ‘She was this whole package of a professional as well as a mentor and the kids knew that. They knew that she cared.?
In a world where television and internet are often appreciated more than books, Munro always felt it was very important for her students to ‘know something of their literary and language heritage,? recalled Chapman, who noted she will be deeply missed by all fortunate enough to know her.
On a personal level, Sambuchi and Munro found themselves ‘drawn to each other? despite an 18-year age gap.
‘I found her to be very witty and a lot of fun to be around,? she said.
One of the things about Munro that sticks out in Sambuchi’s mind was her refined and well-mannered nature.
‘She was a consummate lady,? she said. ‘I don’t think I ever heard her curse. She had such a command of the language that if she was frustrated or angry, she found another way to say it.?
During her illness, Sambuchi was most impressed by ‘the grace with which she handled herself.?
‘It was amazing.?
On the lighter side, Chapman will always remember how much Munro loved her Starbucks coffee and how complicated her order usually was.
‘If you wanted to do a coffee run for Lynda, you had to write it down because there were so many ingredients,? she said with a chuckle.
Prior to Oxford, Munro taught in Dearborn and out of state in Richardson, Texas and Canton, Ohio.
She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s degree in curriculum development from Michigan State University.
Munro was buried in her birthplace of Amarillo, Texas.
A scholarship fund in Munro’s name is currently being established.
Each year it will be awarded to the most outstanding student writer in the graduating class, according to Sambuchi.