Chris Maurice   On Saturday January 10th, the Latin community—teachers, administrators, students and parents—gathered with friends and family of Mr. Windus to celebrate and remember the life of the beloved man who left us far too soon. Mr. Windus joined the Latin community in 2000, and during his 14 years as a teacher here he made plenty of friends and many more memories. Mr. Windus represented the openness of the Latin community, and strived to make sure every one of his students got his or her voice heard. Mr. Windus was not just a teacher; he was a friend to all, and was always there to talk. Mr. Windus’s death came as a shock to all on that Thursday night of December 18th, and with his death there seems to be a hole within the Latin community. Inside St. Pauls United Church of Christ, the Latin community joined together to attempt to heal the hole caused by the loss of Mr. Windus. The touching ceremony left many with students, parents, alumni, and teachers teary-eyed as they recalled some of the memories they were honored to have shared with Mr. Windus. Towards the end of the service, the presiding priest asked for those who were taught by Mr. Windus to stand up—the majority of the room stood. Students, former and present, all rose to honor the man they learned so much from. Mr. Windus taught us all something, whether it was how to write an analytical paragraph, how to make oneself happy, or how to make light of a bad situation” Mr. Windus taught the Latin community so much, and we all owe him a great thank you. Below is an excerpt from Mr. Windus’s obituary.   “Jeffrey A. Windus, age 48, a resident of Chicago, entered eternal life on Thursday, December 18, 2014 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago as a result of severe heart failure. Jeff was born on June 19, 1966 in Manitowoc to Gale and Jenny Carstens Windus. He graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 1984. Jeff went on to obtain his Bachelors degree in 1988 from Carleton College in Northfield, MN. He then began his career in education by teaching at Culver Academies in Culver, IN from 1988 to 1989 and Holland Hall in Tulsa, OK from 1989 to 1993. Jeff went on to receive his Master of Divinity degree from Yale University in 1996. He then resumed his teaching career at Town School for Boys in San Francisco, CA from 1996 to 2000. From 2000, Jeff became a teacher at The Latin School of Chicago where he was currently serving as the Freshman Dean and Chair of the English Department. He loved teaching and the students he taught. It was always important to him that his students knew that they were always understood, cared for, and that they were important. Jeff had an extensive library of his own at home and loved to read. He also loved to travel. Jeff had been able to visit Africa, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, South Africa, Italy, Ireland, and many other countries. He enjoyed spending his time cooking, eating, and above all, being with his family, friends, and students.” To read the rest, please click here.  ]]>