I just found out that Mr. Michael Aymar, my middle school English teacher, passed away from cancer earlier today. I hadn't known he was sick. I hadn't seen or spoken to him since I was 13.
There were so many times after graduating eighth grade that I sat down to write and tell him what he meant to me. There are various drafts of emails that I never sent at different times in my life: when I decided to major in English, when I started blogging, when I landed my first job at the Writing Center in college, and when I became a middle school English teacher myself.
I wanted him to be proud of me, but I never found the right words to thank him for everything. How do you tell someone that he's made you the person you are without sounding overly sentimental or dramatic?
Mr. Aymar was the reason I fell in love with reading and writing and the English language. So much of who I am today, including my hobbies and passions, can be traced back to his seventh grade classroom. When I won my first writing contest in fifth grade, he gave me a box of beautiful ribbons and told me to tie them around my first published book before giving it to him. I'll never get to do that now. What I will get to do, though, is honor him every day in my own classroom as I do my best to inspire a love of books and words in a new generation of students.
Part of me feels like I don't have a right to cry or mourn because more than a decade has passed since the last time I saw him. I wish I'd told him how grateful I am for everything he taught me. I hope that, wherever he is, he knows somehow that every story I have written and every lesson plan I have created and every nerdy grammar joke I have told was a small "thank you" and an echo of his memory.
My prayers are with his family and with the countless students he taught and inspired throughout his life.
Requiem æternam dona ei, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.
Caitlin Michelle
Just now, I was shocked to stumble upon the revelation that a man, who left a profound imprint on who I am as a person, has passed away from cancer at the tragic age of 57.
Throughout my life I have had an interesting relationship with teachers, both in and outside of school. Few things in life irritate and depress me more than an incompetent and unmotivated teacher, passively poisoning their flock of students with the caustic notion that it is okay to be ignorant. On the other hand, there are a a select few who can touch the heart of a child, kindling an ever growing flame of wisdom to be steadily fueled by the infinite spectrum of knowledge all around him, waiting to be absorbed. Mr. Aymar is one of these few blessed souls.
Many of us are familiar with the opening lines of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18,
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Standing proudly in the front of an undersized classroom of wide eyed 7th graders, it was Michael Aymar who enthusiastically deconstructed the poem, exposing the delicate cohesion of form and content that came together to craft the English language's greatest writer's famous piece. Mr. Aymar served as the vital mediator between us students and Shakespeare, taking us hundreds of years back in time to hear from the Master poet himself. The lesson naturally culminated focusing not on the opening of the sonnet, but on the closing couplet:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Within these lines lie the true nature of the relation between the artist and life, and naturally death. Whether by crass causality or the ceaseless passage of time, we are bound to fade from this temporal world. However, just as Shakespeare is still with us today, eternally embedded in his art, the wise words of Mr. Aymar ring loud within our minds as he too is an artist, and teaching is his craft. So rest peacefully, for so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Ars longa, vita brevis
Robert McPherson
Anyone that really knows me, has heard about my favorite teacher, Mr. Aymar. He was more than a teacher to me and my class. He was a father figure. I'm honestly at a loss for words. The world lost a beautiful soul who touched so many lives. I could never adequately describe the magnitude of influence he had on my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today had my life not been blessed with such an incredible teacher. He taught us to love learning and pushed us to be the best version of ourselves. He pushed our limits and believed in us more than we did ourselves. He loved and respected us. He inspired us every day. I know there are hundreds of students that share my feelings, especially my class who shared a special bond with him. To Peter and Mrs. Aymar, my heart and prayers are with you. Although he is gone from this world, you have gained a beautiful angel. Thank you for sharing him with us. Until we meet again Mr. Aymar. I love you always
Maria Taysha
The world lost a wonderful man yesterday. Mr. Aymar, you always believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. You gave me confidence when I had none. You completley changed the way I look at school and learning. My writing skills would be nowhere near what they are today without your influence. You coached me through countless papers in in middle school, and even in high school and college via email. I am forever grateful for all the help and guidance you've given me over the years. You will always be my favorite teacher.
Love always,
5.5
Lauren Chrobocinski
Mr. Aymar was the best teacher and friend a young student could ask for. He believed in me and urged me to be the best version of myself. I am heart broken to say goodbye, but am comforted to know I now have two amazing people looking after me from afar.
Rest peacefully and surrounded by books, Mr. Aymar.
Julian Paik
I could never perfectly describe the connection I have with my St. Anthony's School family because you would have to live it to know how special this bond is. From our principal Sr. Catherine (may she rest in peace) to the receptionist, librarian, the janitor! That i still remember, to the gym teacher, the priests, all the students and to our teachers, we were all a family even 15years later after graduating. Now I can't believe that my favorite teacher of all time, this man that has been such an impact in our st Anthony's school family has passed away. Mr. Aymar we all love you so much, and miss you dearly. This man went above and beyond for us like if we were his own kids and had the most unique way of teaching that still lives in all of us ....and you were right I'll always hear your voice in the middle of my sleep saying ... “A subjective compliment completes the meaning of a linking verb ANDDD refers back to the subject”
Cathy Nunez
Michael Aymar, one of the funniest and most intelligent people I had the privilege to call friend.
He was kind, dedicated and caring.
I had the honor of teaching with Michael in 2 schools. At the end of every school year, it was our tradition to play "School's Out" by Alice Cooper. Our last year together we just couldn't do it. Instead we found ourselves listening to "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. That's how I like to remember him now.
"Cause I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you cannot change."
In pace Requiescat...
Cindy Garland
I heard a little while ago and I still can't believe it. I always had this scene played out in my mind that I'd see him again one day and I'd get to tell him how much he's influenced me as far as my passion for music and seeking knowledge is concerned. During my year with him in 7th grade he literally donated 4 crates of awesome music to me for no reason. Simply because I'd expressed an interest. He didn't hesitate. To this day I still credit those music tapes for making me the person I am today as wierd as that may sound. That music was everything to me for the next four years until a house fire ruined them. I feel like losing them that day actually made them stick with me this long and probably will forever. My condolences go out to your family Mr. Aymar, rest easy. You will be truly missed.
Lou Diaz
To our beloved teacher & old friend:
There is no one that impacted our lives in that small school more than you did. you would read Edgar Allen Poe & Shakespeare instead of sticking to only the textbook.. to the many classroom "beach days", yearly picture splash, stream of consciousness, making everyone feel special on Valentine's Day, battling it out with Brain Quest, our fun class trips, inviting us into your home & can't forget those delicious brownies your wife would make.. Those are just some of the incredible memories me & the St. Anthony family will remember of you.
You are a great part of who I am today- & those memories of you will forever stay in my heart. "A subjective complement completes the meaning of a linking verb ANDDD refers back to the subject"--
I love you now & forever more too sir..
may you rest in peace
our dear Mr. Aymar.
Lily Santos
Mr. Aymar was my favorite teacher and he was the best teacher I have ever had. He was such a great person. May he rest in peace.
All his students will remember this.
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Bruny Christian
Good manners cost nothing.
I never forgot that.
Kenneth Armas
Not many teachers can have a profound effect on you and your life. After you leave, you slowly forget the teachers, the hallways, and the school. But sometimes, a teacher can have an impact on your life that will resonate with you for your whole life. I am beyond shocked hearing that Mr. Aymar has passed. It has been almost 15 years but I can never forget all that you have taught us, whether it be Shakespeare's sonnets, Edgar Allan Poe's poems, or even subjective complements! You were truly an amazing person and I thank you for the role you have had in my life and all that you have done to make me the person I am today. I can say that you were definitely one of my most favorite teachers!
Palak Doshi
Mike Fuentes
There were so many times after graduating eighth grade that I sat down to write and tell him what he meant to me. There are various drafts of emails that I never sent at different times in my life: when I decided to major in English, when I started blogging, when I landed my first job at the Writing Center in college, and when I became a middle school English teacher myself.
I wanted him to be proud of me, but I never found the right words to thank him for everything. How do you tell someone that he's made you the person you are without sounding overly sentimental or dramatic?
Mr. Aymar was the reason I fell in love with reading and writing and the English language. So much of who I am today, including my hobbies and passions, can be traced back to his seventh grade classroom. When I won my first writing contest in fifth grade, he gave me a box of beautiful ribbons and told me to tie them around my first published book before giving it to him. I'll never get to do that now. What I will get to do, though, is honor him every day in my own classroom as I do my best to inspire a love of books and words in a new generation of students.
Part of me feels like I don't have a right to cry or mourn because more than a decade has passed since the last time I saw him. I wish I'd told him how grateful I am for everything he taught me. I hope that, wherever he is, he knows somehow that every story I have written and every lesson plan I have created and every nerdy grammar joke I have told was a small "thank you" and an echo of his memory.
My prayers are with his family and with the countless students he taught and inspired throughout his life.
Requiem æternam dona ei, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.
Caitlin Michelle
Just now, I was shocked to stumble upon the revelation that a man, who left a profound imprint on who I am as a person, has passed away from cancer at the tragic age of 57.
Throughout my life I have had an interesting relationship with teachers, both in and outside of school. Few things in life irritate and depress me more than an incompetent and unmotivated teacher, passively poisoning their flock of students with the caustic notion that it is okay to be ignorant. On the other hand, there are a a select few who can touch the heart of a child, kindling an ever growing flame of wisdom to be steadily fueled by the infinite spectrum of knowledge all around him, waiting to be absorbed. Mr. Aymar is one of these few blessed souls.
Many of us are familiar with the opening lines of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18,
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Standing proudly in the front of an undersized classroom of wide eyed 7th graders, it was Michael Aymar who enthusiastically deconstructed the poem, exposing the delicate cohesion of form and content that came together to craft the English language's greatest writer's famous piece. Mr. Aymar served as the vital mediator between us students and Shakespeare, taking us hundreds of years back in time to hear from the Master poet himself. The lesson naturally culminated focusing not on the opening of the sonnet, but on the closing couplet:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Within these lines lie the true nature of the relation between the artist and life, and naturally death. Whether by crass causality or the ceaseless passage of time, we are bound to fade from this temporal world. However, just as Shakespeare is still with us today, eternally embedded in his art, the wise words of Mr. Aymar ring loud within our minds as he too is an artist, and teaching is his craft. So rest peacefully, for so long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Ars longa, vita brevis
Robert McPherson
Anyone that really knows me, has heard about my favorite teacher, Mr. Aymar. He was more than a teacher to me and my class. He was a father figure. I'm honestly at a loss for words. The world lost a beautiful soul who touched so many lives. I could never adequately describe the magnitude of influence he had on my life. I wouldn't be the person I am today had my life not been blessed with such an incredible teacher. He taught us to love learning and pushed us to be the best version of ourselves. He pushed our limits and believed in us more than we did ourselves. He loved and respected us. He inspired us every day. I know there are hundreds of students that share my feelings, especially my class who shared a special bond with him. To Peter and Mrs. Aymar, my heart and prayers are with you. Although he is gone from this world, you have gained a beautiful angel. Thank you for sharing him with us. Until we meet again Mr. Aymar. I love you always
Maria Taysha
The world lost a wonderful man yesterday. Mr. Aymar, you always believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. You gave me confidence when I had none. You completley changed the way I look at school and learning. My writing skills would be nowhere near what they are today without your influence. You coached me through countless papers in in middle school, and even in high school and college via email. I am forever grateful for all the help and guidance you've given me over the years. You will always be my favorite teacher.
Love always,
5.5
Lauren Chrobocinski
Mr. Aymar was the best teacher and friend a young student could ask for. He believed in me and urged me to be the best version of myself. I am heart broken to say goodbye, but am comforted to know I now have two amazing people looking after me from afar.
Rest peacefully and surrounded by books, Mr. Aymar.
Julian Paik
I could never perfectly describe the connection I have with my St. Anthony's School family because you would have to live it to know how special this bond is. From our principal Sr. Catherine (may she rest in peace) to the receptionist, librarian, the janitor! That i still remember, to the gym teacher, the priests, all the students and to our teachers, we were all a family even 15years later after graduating. Now I can't believe that my favorite teacher of all time, this man that has been such an impact in our st Anthony's school family has passed away. Mr. Aymar we all love you so much, and miss you dearly. This man went above and beyond for us like if we were his own kids and had the most unique way of teaching that still lives in all of us ....and you were right I'll always hear your voice in the middle of my sleep saying ... “A subjective compliment completes the meaning of a linking verb ANDDD refers back to the subject”
Cathy Nunez
Michael Aymar, one of the funniest and most intelligent people I had the privilege to call friend.
He was kind, dedicated and caring.
I had the honor of teaching with Michael in 2 schools. At the end of every school year, it was our tradition to play "School's Out" by Alice Cooper. Our last year together we just couldn't do it. Instead we found ourselves listening to "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. That's how I like to remember him now.
"Cause I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you cannot change."
In pace Requiescat...
Cindy Garland
I heard a little while ago and I still can't believe it. I always had this scene played out in my mind that I'd see him again one day and I'd get to tell him how much he's influenced me as far as my passion for music and seeking knowledge is concerned. During my year with him in 7th grade he literally donated 4 crates of awesome music to me for no reason. Simply because I'd expressed an interest. He didn't hesitate. To this day I still credit those music tapes for making me the person I am today as wierd as that may sound. That music was everything to me for the next four years until a house fire ruined them. I feel like losing them that day actually made them stick with me this long and probably will forever. My condolences go out to your family Mr. Aymar, rest easy. You will be truly missed.
Lou Diaz
To our beloved teacher & old friend:
There is no one that impacted our lives in that small school more than you did. you would read Edgar Allen Poe & Shakespeare instead of sticking to only the textbook.. to the many classroom "beach days", yearly picture splash, stream of consciousness, making everyone feel special on Valentine's Day, battling it out with Brain Quest, our fun class trips, inviting us into your home & can't forget those delicious brownies your wife would make.. Those are just some of the incredible memories me & the St. Anthony family will remember of you.
You are a great part of who I am today- & those memories of you will forever stay in my heart. "A subjective complement completes the meaning of a linking verb ANDDD refers back to the subject"--
I love you now & forever more too sir..
may you rest in peace
our dear Mr. Aymar.
Lily Santos
Mr. Aymar was my favorite teacher and he was the best teacher I have ever had. He was such a great person. May he rest in peace.
All his students will remember this.
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow’st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
Bruny Christian
Good manners cost nothing.
I never forgot that.
Kenneth Armas
Not many teachers can have a profound effect on you and your life. After you leave, you slowly forget the teachers, the hallways, and the school. But sometimes, a teacher can have an impact on your life that will resonate with you for your whole life. I am beyond shocked hearing that Mr. Aymar has passed. It has been almost 15 years but I can never forget all that you have taught us, whether it be Shakespeare's sonnets, Edgar Allan Poe's poems, or even subjective complements! You were truly an amazing person and I thank you for the role you have had in my life and all that you have done to make me the person I am today. I can say that you were definitely one of my most favorite teachers!
Palak Doshi
- "Knowledge is power" -Francis Bacon. SCUBA is an acronym for self contained underwater breathing apparatus. Etymology are the breakdown of words; etymology like edible; food for word knowledge.
- These are just some of the things I never forgot as one of Mr Aymars students. Memories from the 4th & 5th grade that I still hold close till this day. Most teachers you forget. Mr Aymar was unforgettable. But it wasn't the material or the substance. It was the man behind the lesson plan. He didn't just prepare you for the next grade, he prepared you for life. He gave you hope. He found the humor in life. He made a boy with no confidence see the world differently by pushing him to his full potential. He influenced a shy boy to take the the lead role in the school play because he saw more in him than he ever saw in himself. When he was no longer your teacher, he invited your entire class to his home for a barbecue. And when you moved away you missed his friendship the most.
- Years later his influence lived on. When you told him, in college, you wanted to become a teacher due to his influence, he invited you to his school to visit and discuss your plans. And when you met with him he told you he saw it in you all along. He was more than just a teacher. Although I moved away, he was with me everywhere I went, by the way he shaped me as a person and the person he pushed me to become. The person may have passed but every lesson he ever taught each of us will live on in each of us.
Mike Fuentes