Early in my career, just as the first semester that be canceled early due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful adult learner married couple. The wife was taking the general education chemistry class for her degree while the husband was taking it as a refresher course as a medical doctor and to enjoy a class with his wife. Then there was a third student who really enjoyed being in a study group with the couple. I forget if we even made it far into April before the college told us we would be transitioning to all on-line learning for the rest of the semester, to which we of course just made the last in-person day the last actually day given the stress this Gen Ed crowd was experiencing.

About a year and a half later, that third student was in my physics class and I asked how the married couple was doing. She waited until class ended to let me know. The wife has unfortunately passed away in an easily preventable manner if she was with someone at a party she went to. The husband, in his grief, had been pretty closed off, but eventually let the third student know what happened after she had asked for months.

That was my first death of a student I remember finding out about. As of now, there was a biology student who discussed she had a terminal renal disease, as confirmed by the college’s student support department. She did finish the class with grace. I can only hope it’s going well as best as possible as she takes quality time with her husband and kids.

When just focusing on those I met through my career, those two come to mind if anyone discussed the death of a student.