Veteran Decatur High Teacher Jim Streeter Passes Away
Decatur Metro | July 16, 2013
Many of you have expressed grief and are looking for more information regarding to recent death of 22-year veteran Decatur High teacher Jim Streeter. Lauri McKain was good enough to pass along the note she sent out to staff…
Jim Streeter, a 22-year veteran teacher at Decatur High School, passed away yesterday afternoon. He had been under treatment for a brain mass and died from related complications. Jim’s son, Mark, graduated from Decatur High School in 2000. His wife, Linda, actively helped with the Decatur High School band and would be seen at various other events with Jim. Please keep Linda and Mark in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with this incredible loss.
The family is currently making decisions about arrangements. As soon as I receive more information, I will pass it along to you.
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A service for all who loved Jim Streeter will be held next Thursday the 25th at 4PM.
Covenant Presbyterian Church
covepres.com – Info
2881 Canton Rd, Marietta, GA
(770) 422-5130
Thanks for sharing Ms. McKain. I know many of us would like to attend if we are able. Mr. Streeter was such a big part of our lives at DHS – and for some of us at Renfroe too. We have been sharing stories and Streeterisms for decades.
He will truly be missed. Thoughts to Linda and Mark.
I am so grateful for all Mr. Streeter has done for DHS and for all of his students over the years. He was so good at getting more out of students, had a ridiculously generous heart and genuinely cared. RIP Streeter. We will miss you.
Mr. Streeter was a great teacher and much of what I learned from him I still use to this very day- on a daily basis… May God bless him and his family.
Really sorry to hear this! Mr. Streeter was a great teacher and band leader. He was a constant positive presence in our lives when I was in high school, and he was great at encouraging creativity in students. I live out of state, but I’ll be thinking of him at the memorial service next week and I wish peace to his family and others affected by his passing.
A true institution, in every best sense of the word.
Mr Streeter was far more than just my drafting teacher
he was a true friend, who was always there for me.
He has been such an important part of my life- He taught me
more than anything that life is what you make it.
Hard work pays off, and as long as you keep trying, you will never fail.
My heart goes out to his family- but please know that in this time of pain
that there many others just like me, who are better people because he
took the time to teach us.
What a beautiful, heartfelt tribute. I didn’t know Mr. Streeter, but I bet he’d have been very moved by what you said–I know I was.
I was working at a house off Midway Road when I received a call Wednesday around 3:30 from Career Academy director Dwanne Sprull. When he told me that he was the only one present at the school, I joked that, now that Mr. Streeter and I are retired, he won’t have anyone around to keep him company on Saturdays, during holiday breaks or summer vacation. “I have some bad news about Mr. Streeter…”
So began my personal memories concerning Jim Streeter, a teacher whom I worked with at Decatur High School for twenty one years. At the time of the phone call, I had begun to change a deadbolt on a house that the company I now work for had just purchased. I was so upset that when I finished installing the lock, I realized that it was backwards, with the latch on the outside of the door. After cursing, I was able to briefly smile, knowing that “Big Jim” Streeter would have smiled also. Had he been there, he would have offered what the kids called “Streeterisms”; “Well Mr. B (small chuckle), I can remember this sort of thing happening to me until I came up with a METHOD (emphasis) that allowed me to focus on the activity. Here’s what I do”. And after a five minute dissertation, you would have a pretty good way of doing the job right the first time, the Streeter Way.
The last time I saw Streeter (I was probably the only person at DHS who called him Mr. Streeter. To everyone else, kids and staff alike, he was “Streeter”) was the day before graduation. Even though he had retired in January, he had made the long trip from North Kalamazoo to set up the sign-tron so that parents could see their teen’s picture as they walked across the stage. We shook hands and briefly spoke but I have a stronger memory of visiting his classroom last September, after school right before grade reports came out. There were maybe ten students there, each one waiting to get some individual attention. Streeter was working with a student named Louisa, explaining some complicated technical information. She was asking about whether this formula would work and he provided the answer, not just “No” but a detailed explanation. Streeter was like that. He was one of these old fashioned teachers who was not an entertainer, but a master of his field. He could hold his own with any drafting expert as well as patiently explain highly technical ideas to high school students. In this regard, he will be very difficult to replace.
In addition to being a master teacher, Streeter was also a builder. He could construct beautiful room additions and decks, not the jacked up mess you sometimes see from homeowners, but first class construction, the envy of both amateur and professional builders. What I admired the most about his building expertise was his love of toy trains and layouts. For several years, he invited me to see his G-scale train layout. “I’ve been working on this six foot long train trestle for years and its almost finished. You would love it.” My wife and I would often joke, “He wants you to drive 300 miles to see an unfinished train bridge?!” I never took the time to see it but I bet it is a beauty, consisting of thousands of small, individual boards, each one carefully placed to look just like the train bridges from over a hundred years ago. When I was cleaning out my room at DHS a few days before my retirement more than a year ago, I found several binders full of old “Trains” magazines, some from the Thirties and Forties (Only Streeter was a bigger pack rat than me). “Do you want these?” I asked. He was thrilled, characteristically adding that he was missing a few issues from 19whatever and “My third and fourth year drafting students like to look at the layout drawings for ideas”.
“My third and fourth year students”. Here are a few things you need to know about Streeter:
In addition to working with twenty first year (freshmen) students, Streeter would always have at least five juniors and seniors working independently in his classroom. I witnessed this and was amazed that he could command the attention of clueless ninth grade students and also pause to answer a technical question from an older, more mature student. Very few teachers can manage that kind of instruction.
He worked with these older students to design the renovation of the DHS Career Academy. Streeter taught students real world knowledge, things that they will use for the rest of their lives.
Not only was he the only one who knew how to operate the stadium sign-tron, he served on numerous committees, from discipline to curriculum. In the past, he volunteered to work with the DHS marching band. He played several instruments well and he could show students how to move and play for a halftime performance.
Streeter arrived for work at 7:00 and was often at school when I left at 6:00PM. He worked Saturdays, holidays, and several days throughout the summer. And unlike myself, he had to drive at least forty-five minutes or longer to get to Decatur. Forty-five minutes, both ways, for 22 years.
He was a friend to all. Even though he held strong political beliefs, he did not let it get in the way of both his professional and personal relationships.
Shortly after he retired, Streeter was chosen the “Star Teacher”. He certainly leaves a great legacy at DHS, as a teacher, a mentor, and a problem solver. I will always remember a strong and caring person, someone that both students and staff could count on for help at anytime or place. ”
“Big Jim” Streeter, a great man. Rest In Peace.
In addition to the service next week, i believe there is a memorial service here in Decatur today at 4:00 at Decatur Presbyterian Church.
Chris my name is Rick Strreter. I am Jim’s brother from Texas. I am about to leave the hotel to go to his memorial and I ran across your tribute to him. It brought me to tears. I only can pray that I have made the same impact on my students and colleagues. Thank you do very much.