Bill Strait
Family, friends and former students of William Strait are mourning the loss of an educator who believed there was no such thing as a lost cause.
Mr. Strait, who spent a majority of his career as principal of Monroe Elementary School in Wyandotte, died suddenly Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Riverview. He was 69.
When Mr. Strait retired a few years ago, he talked to a reporter about his early years in education. He began teaching in Wyandotte as a substitute in 1965.
“I had just gotten married and my wife (Vonna) was teaching in Wyandotte,” he said. “I subbed while working on my master’s degree.”
He then did a two-year stint in the Army, where he served as a Green Beret in Vietnam. He returned in 1969 and was hired as a vocal music teacher at Allen Park High School. He taught there for one year.
He recalled that things were “getting tight” back then, as fine arts teachers were getting laid off. He said he knew that if he was to stay in the business he needed to “morph.” He went back to school and earned an elementary teaching certification.
Wyandotte Public Schools hired him in 1970. His first job was as a teacher at the now-closed Woodruff Elementary School, where he taught sixth grade for two years. Just two years later, he became principal at Monroe, a position he held until 1983.
It was at that time the district closed both its middle schools for budgetary reasons and some jobs were shifted. Mr. Strait transferred to Roosevelt High School to become the assistant principal and chairman of counseling and special education. He stayed at that job until 1986, when he returned to Monroe as principal. He remained at the school until his retirement in 2009.
“It’s been unique for a principal to remain in a building that long,” Mr. Strait said upon his retirement.
He attributed his longevity as a principal in part to the fact that he started as a principal at the relatively young age of 29. Continued...
School Supt. Carla Harting, who knew Mr. Strait for more than 30 years, said he will be missed by many.
“Bill Strait was a wonderful educator who always put students first,” Harting said. “He was always willing to do whatever was necessary for students to be successful. He approached every situation with humor and made sure everyone felt supported. Even after his retirement, he continued to volunteer and would substitute for our principals.”
As principal of Taft Elementary School, Christine Mathews worked with Mr. Strait as a fellow administrator and retired the same year. A close friend of Mr. Strait and his wife, Vonna, Mathews had words of praise for a man she said was soft-spoken and humble, yet left an impression by his knowledge of the job and his dedication to his students.
“He had a humor and kindness, a talent for working with each child and parent,” Mathews said. “To Bill, there was no stranger, just a friend he hadn’t met yet. He was a wonderful principal.”
He began each morning by writing and broadcasting announcements to the school through the public address system.
He challenged students to read books and on at least one occasion made a promise that if they reached a set reading goal, he would do his impersonation of Elvis Presley. They reached the goal and Mr. Strait followed through, white jumpsuit and all.
One endearing thing he did that really stood out to his fellow school administrators was how he would occasionally break out in song. As Mathews recalls, Mr. Strait would choose an appropriate humorous time during an administrative staff meeting to start singing.
“Bill would break out in song, without any preamble at all, and start to sing and other administrators would join in, ” Mathews said. “He would do the same thing at a restaurant.”
But perhaps most of all, Mr. Strait is remembered for never giving up on lost causes. In fact, he didn’t believe in them.
“No child was too poor or too disobedient for him,” Mathews said. “He would not see any lost causes. There was hope for anyone. His daughter mentioned how (her parents’) dinners were laden with talk about students, how they could help them, how they could reach students and make their lives better.” Continued...
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughter, Kristen, and his brother, Robert Strait. He was preceded in death by his parents, Luren and Elizabeth Strait.
Funeral arrangements were handled by The Martenson Family of Funeral Homes Inc., of Trenton. A funeral service was held yesterday at First Presbyterian Church of Trenton. Burial was at Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery in Huron Township.
The family has asked that contributions in memory of Mr. Strait be made to First Presbyterian Church.
Contact Jim Kasuba at 1-734-246-0881 or jimk@heritage.com. Follow him on Facebook and @JKasuba on Twitter.
Source:
http://www.thenewsherald.com/articles/2012/08/12/news/doc501c4fdd039b9396527019.txt