In Memoriam

In Memory of Our Dear Friend and Beloved Colleague
On Sunday, November 14, 2010 the ESOL and Foreign Language community suffered a great loss with the sudden and unexpected passing of our dear friend and beloved colleague, Wayne Craven.  Wayne was a dedicated and talented teacher who started his career in education In 1983 as a German teacher, where his creative and innovative teaching inspired a love of languages in high school students.  He later completed the ESOL Endorsement and became an ESOL teacher and then worked at the GADoE as an ESOL Program Specialist.  Upon his return to Cobb in 2007, Wayne served as a District ESOL Lead and Intensive English Language Program Coordinator.  His passion for language and culture made him a creative and innovative instructor for Cobb's ESOL Endorsement program in which he has helped hundreds of teachers work effectively with students from all over the world. Wayne was not only a passionate advocate for children, but a deeply compassionate and kind person.

Wayne not only had a passion for education, but for technology as well. Thus, it seems only fitting to dedicate a section of cyperspace to our beloved friend. We were blessed to know and work with him and are better people for having done so.

The services for Wayne Craven will be held at the following location:

Roswell Funeral Home
950 Mansell Road
Roswell, GA 30076
(770) 993-4811
http://www.roswellfuneralhome.com

Viewing will be Thursday evening from 5 to 8 p.m.
Funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. with burial procession to follow.

You may make a donation to the American Heart Association or send flowers.  The obituary will be forthcoming in both the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Marietta Daily Journal. Today we heard from former students and colleagues from around the world (Spain, Germany, United Arab Emirates, and Mexico).

Wayne's family information:

Mr. Allen Craven and Mrs. Eileen Craven

16823 Georgia Highway 16 East
Monticello, Georgia 31064

In memory of you, our friend, coworker, teacher, we offer this place in cyberspace. "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure." We treasure you, Wayne. We really do.

Friends, colleagues, coworkers and former students should feel free to post their thoughts, prayers or favorite Wayne stories.

Comments

[James Woody]

We will sorely miss Mr. Craven and his ESOL contributions. I know Mr. Owemby knew him from our school. Thanks.We will remember his family in our thoughts and prayers. James Woody ESOL Lead Teacher Imagine Mableton

[Kevin Schott]

Uber allen Gipfeln ist Ruh
Auf allen Wipfeln spurrest du kaum einen Hauch
Die vogelein schweigen im Walde
Warte nur, balde ruhest du auch
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

'Peace lies above the treetops
Within the trees you can barely hear a whisper
The birds become silent in the woods
Have patience, soon you will also find Peace' with respect, kevin

[Agnes Csaszar]

Wayne’s dedicated support enhanced the academic success of our ELLs in myriad rewarding ways.

His unforgettable treasured memory will be cherished forever.

[Cora Barragan]

When someone special is gone, it is hard to find words of comfort. We will be seeing Wayne again one day. In the meantime, we can remember him every time help a child or share a smile. May he find rest in the arms of our Lord.

[Debbie Collins]

My brief contact with Wayne at County meetings showed me a man of true passion for teaching. He will be greatly missed, but his passion will live on through the many lives he touched. My prayers go out to his family.

[Beverly Gootee]

I appreciated Wayne for his passion for our IEL students. He looked into a need and worked hard to provide a quality program for these students who could have easily been overlooked. He provided support not only for the students but also for the teachers who worked with them. He was very sincere and caring. We will miss him in so many ways.

[Stella Etta-Tawo]

I hope you rest in perfect peace Wayne, because you worked tirelessly when you were here both during the school year and the holidays as well. You were with us here at Griffin only two weeks ago- talking, laughing and joking- now you are gone from us. We'll sure miss your kind words, gentle nature and dedication to our departmant. May God receive you and comfort all those you left behind!

[Vicki Steenhoek]

It was always comforting to see Wayne with his sweet and ready smile. He brought a calm to his language learners and an ease with his colleagues. I will miss his constant caring. He is an inspiraton.

[Felix J. Rentas]

In a time when people love things and use people, it is refreshing to meet someone who strangely enough loves people and use things. That was Wayne, and with his passing he reminded me that life is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be cherished and shared. Thank you God for people like him, and may all of us honor his memory by living our lives in the service of others with joy. May God bless his soul.

[Richard Harveston: San Francisco, CA]

Among our friends in New York in the eary 1980s, Wayne was affectionaly called "baby Wayne"; his hair was like corn silk, his skin like porcelain and his eyes deep blue, New Yorkers were amazed.

There's a song that they sing when they take to the sea,
A song that they sing of thier home in the sky,
Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose
Won't you let me go down in my dreams,
And rockabye sweet baby Wayne.

In my mind I'm going to Carolina; sweet dreams and rest in peace.

[Marti Rosner]

I did not know Wayne well, but in our limited acquaintance, his gentle and kind spirit was apparent through his actions and words. He will be missed.
Marti Rosner

[Lisa McFarland Armistead]

I've know Wayne for 48 of our 53 years. We met in 1962 at Dunwoody Methodist Church Kindergarten. There were 13 of us in that class. We went all the way through Dunwoody Elementary School together, and we were both in the graduation picture. It's the only graduation I've ever gone through. My kindergarten picture is the only cap and gown picture I have.
I'm thinking Wayne was a little better at attending graduations than I have been.

We went through Dunwoody High School together. Filo has the yearbook I post-it noted for her so she could see him in all the clubs. We were in the Drama Club together for four years together; I graduated early and went on to Georgia.

We lost contact during college years, but we both became teachers and neither one of us had children. We know the story though, we have each had thousands of children over the years. I think it's not surprising that our stories are parallel in many ways; we were both bullied in elementary school. It was heart-breaking for both of us as we each have kind and gentle hearts. Maybe the bullying is what made us teachers; we wanted schools to be better places.

I had a heart attack in 2006. Wayne died from one. I've been thinking about the heart-break of bullying and the stress of teaching. I guess it's really not so surprising that we both had heart trouble. I have four stents in mine.

What I remember about Wayne's character is that he had a gentle dignity, a wicked but private sense of humor, and a very strong will for doing the right thing. A quote I encountered in my reading was, "He went as the rain, among the just and the unjust, doing all the good he could." Charles Dickens from Little Dorrit. Another was "Christ abides in the home where cheerfulness resides." We're both cheerful people, positive and loving.

Thanks for letting me share.

[Deitra L. Duncan]

Wayne, what an honor to work with and for you! You are the EPITOME of class. Although, I'm sad and you will be missed..I'm also happy for your latest promotion, as an ANGEL. We already knew you were one here on earth! GODSPEED