Dec. 12--The School District U46 Board of Education paused for a moment during Monday's meeting in remembrance of two district employees who have recently passed.
Roger Kirby was a longtime special education teacher in the district who passed away on Nov. 25, board president Donna Smith said at the meeting.
While Kirby's family could not be reached, Smith said he came into the district as a teacher at Elgin High School in 2001 and taught there through 2013.
He was known to support many families and their students during the annual special education parent fair.
Kirby moved to Ellis Middle School in the 2013-14 school year, then on to South Elgin High School for 2014-15, Smith said.
"Roger was known for his deep commitment to all students and families," Smith said. "We will miss his patience, positive attitude and expertise."
Tammy Kovacs, a 15-year employee, passed Dec. 4 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, according to Smith and family members.
She was 53, according to her obituary.
She worked her way up from a secretarial position at Elgin High in 2000 to a role in plant operations, becoming South Elgin High's treasurer in 2005, according to Smith.
"Tammy was a great soul," Smith said. "She was a true warrior every day and during the last few months, her ultimate wish was simply to return to the main office."
Tammy's daughter, Lindsay Kovacs, said her mom spent all her scholastic years within the district, and came to think of her district co-workers as a second family.
"She always told me to always be at a job you love, so it doesn't feel like work," Lindsay Kovacs said. "That really describes how the district treated her. They really became a second family to her."
Tammy loved spending time with her granddaughter, who also goes to school in the district, Lindsay Kovacs said.
She loved going out to dinner, eating well and taking walks in her Elgin neighborhood, according to her daughter.
"No matter what kind of pain she was in, she smiled and she was positive the entire time," Lindsay Kovacs said of her mom. "Having that second family made her stronger. She could go to work and have that family there if she needed anything."
geoffz@tribpub.com
