Letters to Mrs. Middleton

Dear Mrs. Middleton,

I never had you as a teacher, and as an MUN advisor, our relationship was distant but for some reason, you were always there for me. I was so blessed that although we did not get to know each other on a personal level, whenever I entered your room, or even walked by you, you always greeted me with a warm “Hello Tramy” and gave me a smile. It wasn’t until when my dad passed away that I began to see how wonderful you were as not only a teacher, because you’d always check up on how I was doing, but how wonderful you were as a person, coming to my dad’s funeral to support my family and I. I am so sorry for your loss and I am sure that your husband is with you wherever you go. Stay strong Mrs. Middleton, we are all here for you <3

With love,

Tramy Nguyen c/o 2011.

Mrs. Middleton,

Hi, it’s your adopted daughter from high school. I want you to know that I love you and that I want to be here for you if you need anything (food, drinks (alcohlic and non), dessert, girl time, etc). I have not left Cerritos and Torrance/RPV is not that far so please, if you need anything let me know.

I was in complete shock when I heard the news and I am so sorry for your loss. Mr. Middleton was an amazing man and I remember when you first told us about this ‘Eric’ guy. Your eyes would light up and you had this calmness about you which made us very happy:) You had become such a big part of our lives at that point that seeing a person come into your life to make you so happy in return made us happy knowing that you had found that person (awkward sentence, but I hope you get it). I also remember how we all had a hard time remembering to call you Mrs. Middleton after you and Eric got married, so you became ‘Mrs. Middle-egan’ for a while. Then you brought him into our senior class to give us a test on the 1980s since  we were all born in 1987 and you thought we should know about the decade we were born in; I think we all failed miserably. After class, Lauren, Katrina and I told you how handsome we thought Mr. Middleton was and how you did a good job. You then told us that we were gross because we were young and shouldn’t be saying things like that. We all laughed, met Mr. Middleton and we knew that he was perfect for you. He made you smile, he made you happy, he made you laugh, and he supported you and your dedication to the MUN program and us students could not be more grateful.

You are an amazing woman Mrs. Middleton and I am grateful to have had you as a teacher, advisor, mentor, and now as an adult, a friend. I look forward to coming to surprise you at CHS because I enjoy talking to you. You are so strong, but it is okay to rely on your friends and family right now, that’s what we are here for. You and your family will continue to be in my prayers. Our household house is always open to you. May God Bless you and Mr. Middleton.

All my love,

Marissa Sunio

Dear Mrs. Middleton,

I can’t imagine what you must be going through and the overwhelming emotions you must be feeling. When I first heard of these tragic events, I could do nothing but stare at my computer screen, reading the words over and over in an attempt to grasp any notion of what they were saying. When I finally understood the gravity of the situation, a barrage of memories rushed through my head. It seemed like just a few days where I was sitting in a class staring at this strange woman who was obsessed with George Clooney and couldn’t tell me apart from two other students, even though we looked nothing alike.

To us, you were Ms. Egan; an eccentric teacher who constantly professed her love for an actor and yelled random exclamations to regain our attention. Yet, as time progressed, we could all see the changes. No longer were there declarations for Mr. Clooney. Instead, a new man entered your life and each day you just seemed brighter and brighter. Never once did I ever hear you mention anything negative about him. Any time he was mentioned, you had nothing but the best to say of him and pretty soon, you became Mrs. “Eg-leton”.

Every day you taught us, I could see that your husband was making you a happy wife and woman. It’s a dynamic bond that people seldom experience and that you were fortunate enough to have. I’m truly sorry for your loss and I know your husband meant the world to you. I hope that you can find some comfort in these words and messages from all those who held you close in their lives and that whenever you look back, you see all the good memories and happiness you shared with your husband. Know that you’ve helped influence hundreds of lives for the better and we will always be here for you.

Sincerely,

Raymond Lam

c/o 2007

Mrs. Middleton, you are one of the few teachers that you go through life never forgetting. I remember sitting in class and you randomly yelling “my hair is on fire” to get our attention, but of course, since we were the “bad” kids we continued to ignore you. I’m sorry to hear of your loss. You are a strong and brave women who always made a difference, constantly pushing to move forward. You are always loved and supported by many. My thoughts are with you and your family.

-Marianne H.

c/o ‘07

I still remember you telling us that in class from time to time—“Look at me! I AM your vision of beauty! Look at ME!” It would make us laugh all the time… What other teacher would tell us that?!  Your 6^th period MUN class gave me my love for politics, gave me the confidence to speak my opinion, and a great, fun class everyday of my freshman year. It’s amazing what a truly gifted and wonderful teacher could do to a person.  Your teaching has changed me as a person and has shaped me to be who I am today, and I will be forever grateful.  Thank you. :)

On another note, I am deeply saddened to hear about the loss of your beloved husband, it was a really tragic to hear. It is these sobering moments in life when we realize that life is such a beautiful gift that has been bestowed upon us and we must not take it for granted. I know you are strong and can push through this hard time in life; it is these tests that truly define us as a person. Please stay strong, and if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me. Helping you through this hard time would be the least I could do for you. 

Much Love,

Ryan Yamauchi

c/o 2010

310.365.5102

ryama1023@gmail.com

**sorry for that weird HTML or whatnot below— I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it **

Dear Mrs. Middleton,

Thank you for believing in me and supporting me throughout high school. Now that I am about to begin my last year at Claremont McKenna College, I look back to the days when I had you as my teacher and MUN adviser. I find myself really appreciating the way you taught us to be strong and “no B.S.” students, who can overcome any obstacle. Such an attitude and work ethic has helped me throughout college, and I hope you remember what you taught us. You have to stay strong. You have to remember that you are far from alone as these messages can serve as your sources of strength that you can turn to when you are feeling down. Your husband will always be with you and look over you. Now, I believe in you and will support you 100% in getting back on your feet and having the will to overcome this. Feel better Mrs. Middleton. :)

Best regards,

William Li

Class of 2008 

I am so sorry to hear about your loss. From my two years of class with you during my sophomore year 6th period World History class and my junior year 2nd period AP Psychology class, i know that you always told endless stories about your husband and it always went to show how much you loved him. I know that this is a hard time in your life, and it seems like things won’t be looking up anytime soon, but just know that your students are here to be your back bone and support you, the way you supported us through our high school lives. I pray that you will be strong and hold steadfast to the belief that everything will be okay in the end. 

Within the first month that i was in your class during sophomore year, i knew you were my favorite teacher. One of the main reasons was because you were funny, but the other reason was because you were someone that i could look up to as a role model for the fact that you always gave off this vibe that was confident and strong. I just want to thank you for uplifting my spirits every day at school because in the two years that i was your student, your classes were always my favorite that i could look forward to every day. I will never forget the good times that i had in your class, and thank you for telling my boyfriend at the time to go away because he had earrings during our 6th period class when i didn’t want to talk to him. You were probably one of the only teachers that actually got the gist of my life behind the whole “living in cerritos” facade, even though i didn’t talk much in class.

Just know that you are a truly influential female role in many lives, and you are a strong, independent woman, and for that fact , i know that you’ll pull through this and be able to hold your head up high. You will definitely be in my prayers, as well as your stepchildren and your family, and I pray that you will continually find strength in the things you love. You should be expecting your favorite Lindor Truffles during this coming up school year! God bless you and your family

With much love,

Michelle Chung

c/o 2012

Mrs. Middleton,

I am sorry for the passing of your husband and hope that through these hard times, you and your family can realize the small positive that may transpire from such a devastating loss. Words do not come easily for me writing about topics like these (or any topic for that matter), but from my experience, the deaths that do not seem like they are meant to be, the ones that are premature, are the most confusing and difficult to fathom. Just know that you and your husband have touched so many lives, directly and indirectly, in such a positive way. Know that you have the support of all of your students from over the years, and that you can contact me through a small message, and our house is always open to you as long as someone is home.

-Kendall Nishibayashi

    I am deeply sorry about your loss and was  shocked to hear about this. My freshman year, I was in your MUN class and then the past year in AP Psychology- your class was definitely the most entertaining and enjoyed. You told us so many stories about your husband and it showed how much you truly loved him. Between the phone calls from home and all your stories, you always kept your class entertained. Thank you for everything you have taught me over the past couple years. You are no doubt one of the strongest, confident, and amazing teachers I have ever had. You care so much about your students and you have taught me a lot about psychology this past year. I know I will use it throughout the rest of my life. All of us are there for you whenever you need, Stay strong and may your husband rest in peace.
    Also thank you for your advice throughout the year & the prom asking secret.
    
    
    Vaidehi Shah
    c/o 2012

Mrs. Middleton,

News of your loss was both shocking and saddening to hear about. Although I never knew or met him personally, your lively stories and memories you’ve shared with our class allowed me to catch a glimpse of how amazing he was. I give you my deepest condolences. Know that you will not only find comfort from your friends and family, but your students as well. It’s apparent how much you have made an impact in all of our lives. I’m incredibly grateful I was able to have you as a teacher. I’ll never forget your class, even being apart of the most quietest period you’ve probably ever had. I still loved it. Thanks for not giving up on us and for everything you’ve taught us in the course of one year. You’re truly inspiring and strong, and even if these times are hard, I know you’ll be able to get through it. I’ll definitely be keeping you and your family in my prayers.

With love,
Courtney Chang
c/o 2012