In Memory of David Soots
David Soots, beloved teacher at Bishop Chatard High School from 1974 to 2003, recently passed away while traveling in Madrid, Spain.
'Mr. Soots' was at Bishop Chatard for 29 years, teaching English, Comparative World Culture and American Literature. He was very active on the BCHS campus serving as English department chair, moderator of yearbook/newspaper, tennis coach, senior class sponsor, and much more.
He was a world traveler, wonderful teacher and friend. His countless contributions to our school have made him a BCHS icon.
A Celebration of Life gathering will be held Monday, January 2, 2012, from 4-8 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Council 3660, 511 E. Thompson Road, Indianapolis, IN 46227. (Entrance to the facility parking lot is immediately east of the CVS.) A toast in David's honor will take place at 6:30 p.m.
The Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1530 S. Union St., Indianapolis, IN 46225. A private burial will follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, or the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 3001 E. 30th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46218.
Visit In Remembrance for more about his life and accomplishments.
All are invited to post your thoughts and memories below.
62 comments:
With him are Theresa Seufert and Abbey Waldron, from the class of 1992. I was called "Artemis" by Mr. Soots, for my Greek name . . .
I remember the stuffed pet pig that Mr. Soots kept in his classroom. This pig was taken on numberous senior break trips...Pictures were taken of the pic in various places. His little friend traveled much, just as Mr. Soots enjoyed to do himself! I have many happy memories of BCHS from his English class and homeroom. Mr. Soots, you will be missed...
Back during the class of 84 days, mr soots had a stuffed dog named George who was taken hostage and held in the 'swamp' and pics taken of the abductors (with bags over their heads) holding him. (is that Jim Klee under that bag!?!?!?). George finally made it home safe and sound! RIP Mr. Soots! You touched many lives over the years and left many wonderful memories!
A colleague and friend on many a Senior retreat, may you rest in the peace, love and friendship of God. The memories are the many signs of God's Friendship that Mr. Soots shared with many BCHS students over the years. David, may you rest in his love for now and forever.
Dave Coons
Former priest of the Archdiocese
Chapel 1991-1999
I remember fondly the slide of a dive-bombing pigeon from one of Mr. Soot's Europe trips. Mr. Soots' spoken caption was "Help, I've been shat upon".
I remember in class Mr. Soots used to always use the phrase "Mark it Well!"
What a great time in English class.
You will be missed!
My 3 kids graduated from Chatard in 1991, 1993, and 1996. I served on the Board of Education for some of those years, so I knew Mr. Soots as a teacher and as a part of the dynamic faculty that helped to launch the lives of countless North side high school students. He was the epitome of class. He spoke softy; his eyes twinkled. The students loved him, even if they didn't love English. I think one of my sons (maybe both?) participated in kidnapping Mr. Soots' stuffed animal. He made it fun to be a part of BCHS. I am so sad to hear of his death. He will not be forgotten.
Barbara (Schroeder) Howard
I'm sorry to hear about Mr. Soots. The senior class of 1998 will fondly blow the conch shell for you
Soots....a true character and a class act. The great secret about Soots was that he was a great teacher without appearing to try too hard to be one. I don't think it is an accident that I retained more from his class than any other I attended while at Chatard. I am saddened that he is no longer with us.
-Justin (Jay) Klug 85
David, we team taught all of those years. Your friends, collagues, and former students will miss you. God has a new jokester to keep the saints laughing and assist with good humor the heavenly citizens. Your soul is at peace. Keep us in your eternal prayers as you live perpetually with the heavenly host. As you always preferred, we will have LGI. R.J.Powell
Remembering a pink pen used as a weapon of mass destruction on many papers I turned in to him. R.I.P. Soots
Oh Mr.Soots, you always told me I was a good writer. Thanks for the inspiration. Stephanie Eppich-Daily
Mr. Soots taught me how to love literature and writing. I went on to achieve a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. Thank you Mr. Soots!
Jay Lesandrini, class of 1983
As I said on Facebook, he was an incredible mentor and a wonderful friend. I will miss you, David. Lucy Wilkins
Soots - You will be missed by so many, but we are all lucky to have a special angel in heaven watching over all of us. You where an amazing teacher, mentor to many, but most importantly a wonderful friend. May you be at peace and we will meet again. All my love.
Stephanie Crock
Class of 92
The darkness of a thousand eons cannot dim
The brilliant radiance that is the essence of the sun.
Likewise, David Soots, your radiance has brightened countless lives and your kindness and wisdom will never dim.
Thank you for your selflessness. We love you.
Justin Wilhere, Class of 94
My husband came home from school today so proud to be carrying the enormous safety pin keychain that hold your old school keys. He's so proud to teach from the very same classroom where you touched so many lives. Soots, I am heartbroken that you are no longer with us. I have countless memories from your class: the conch shell, the high-fives you gave upon entering the room, "Ready on the prayer, please!" and the "Last Lecture" you gave us our last day of Senior English. You were one of the great ones, and you will be missed by so many.
Sarah (Morrow) Funk, Class of '99
David,
You were not only a magnificent, delightful teacher of mine, but you were also a friend. I'm sorry time and space had come between us these past few years. You will be missed and always remembered. There is a bitter sweet feeling in me to know that you were doing what you love when this tragedy occurred. "I have the conch!!" Much love, David. Rest in peace,
Steve Queisser, Class of '94
My heart is saddened. I will never forget the doghouse & st. Bernard. Mr. Soots was one of the coolest teachers. He will truly be missed & heaven is very lucky to have him.
So saddened by this news of David. I so enjoyed your class, so enjoyed your smile and most of enjoyed you. Peace be with you Mr. Soots.
Soots, Words fail me as I try to express the impact you have had on my life. I am deeply saddened by your loss and eternally grateful for all that you taught me. Thanks for being a wonderful teacher, mentor and friend.
Mike Emmett
Mr. Soots was so great and touched my life in so many ways. He was my senior retreat leader, and who could forget the cycle of generosity! His influence is one of the reasons I chose to become a teacher. We love and miss you Mr. Soots!
David Whittemore, Class of 91
I was fortunate enough to be a student at Chatard when Soots first started teaching there. I had him for three years. Many memories of him bringing his dog to our soccer games and practices -- he acted as coach only because we needed a teacher there. He was teacher and friend.
I loved my friendship outings with him, exploring downtown Indianapolis and hanging out in his home. Are talks were great, our time together was wonderful. You are missed already. Kate Jackson McGowan
In life you're fortunate to have and to discover great teachers. Mr. Soots was one of them.
rest in peace
lucas brunette '97
My tear ducts are faulty today, Mr. Soots. Rest in peace!
Soots, your love of life, literature, travel and students is well-remembered. Your twinkling eyes and easy smile touched so many, many lives! What a pleasure to have known you. Tonia Carriger
A good friend, a caring teacher, a professional colleague, and a kind and gentle soul. You'll truly be missed.
Mr Soots used to make me sit by the window during study hall and count the children playing kickball across the street at Christ The King, report the scores, and add commentary, to let him know who was winning and give him the play by play. All in effort to keep me quite & stop talking to my peers, always using creativity ;) Wonderful teacher, beautiful person. Will truly be missed. Amy DiSalvo '00
Soots,
Even while peering out my window at sun-kissed, snow capped peaks, the world has lost a bit of its luster today. The planet, humanity even, has lost one of its great ambassadors for all that is good. Thank you for all of the gifts you gave and continue to bestow, you brought out and celebrated the good in all of us. Thank you for making literature fun (and murderously difficult), for taking me to Europe for my first time and instilling in me a curiosity about places unknown. I recall often the conversation we had just last summer at the class of '90 reunion. What a blessing! You are right, while I am lucky to be doing what I do; following a passion, a dream, I am also the creator and owner of my path. I am forever grateful for everything you did for me as a student but mostly, for the influence you had on me that has made me a good-er person.
Mr. Soots was a true gentleman. I can't say enough good things about him. The world needs more people like David Soots. - Paul Mullin '97
I recently was going through an old box from college and found something that I had tucked away when Soots and I were both on a senior retreat team: a photograph of him riding a horse (at what appeared to be a very slow trot). “Giddyup!” he’d written next to it, then placed both on the podium before I went up to give a talk. I laughed out loud when I found it again, as I’m sure I did ten years ago… and I can still see him, eyes twinkling in the back of the room, a “who, me?” look of faux-innocence on his face. What a wry, wise, wonderful soul. Giddyup, indeed, dear old friend. We will meet again.
Mr. Soots, you were my all time favorite teacher for all the years I was in school, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for the caring teacher you were. You made such an impact on so many lives. I am very saddened by your passing, but I am finding comfort in the Chatard community!!!!
RIP Mr. Soots.. you will be missed...It was junior year study hall where Mr. Soots inspired me to take his summer trip to Europe in 1991....it opened the door to a whole new world for me.....teachers still DO make a difference in lives!
Dearest Soots,
Thank you for believing in me before I knew how to believe in myself. Thank you for assigning me James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist for a research project senior year. I have a sense that you always knew that was a book that would challenge me to grow both analytically, socially and spiritually. (Thank you for that A- I received on the project--the first one for the class of 1993, if I remember correctly. Thank you for making such a big deal of it and of me, though I was entirely mortified at the time.) Thank you for my wanderlust. Our trip to Europe was THE BEST. You promised me it would be. I'll never forget your words when my friends and I announced we'd be seeing Les Mis in London: "Tricia, Jami, you two are going to love it, but Julie, YOU are going to die." We met you at Picadilly afterwards; I was a blubbering fool with a tear-streaked face. You were right about me--always. You never knew it, but you also gave me courage, especially, at the end of our journey through Paris--we were leaving for home; you weren't. You escorted us to Charles de Gaulle and said au revoir. We three not so expertly used our h.s. French--as you intuitively KNEW we could--to find our way home by ourselves. I didn't know anything about myself ... really. You and your World Cultures course was a true blessing in my life. You opened the world up to me in so many ways. I am forever changed ... forever grateful ... for having known you. God bless you.
Soots had a major impact on my life as I have always tried to be the triple threat teacher that he intuitively was. Soots acted as teacher, advisor, mentor long before anyone talked about the importance of getting to know students as individuals. Soots was true to himself and always encouraged and modeled for us the importance of believing in ourselves. I know that the best part of my own teaching started in his classroom or yearbook office. He will be missed.
Debbie O'Donnell Dominguez Class of 78
Soots,
I remember how you always said "It changed my life" when you found an easier way to do something (like putting away your Christmas tree fully decorated for the next year)or just encountered an improvement (like a fixed railroad crossing on your way to work). Well, Soots, you have changed many lives by your influence. Thanks for being my friend. I'll miss you.
We all can only hope to live lives that make it better for others in some way. Soots did that. My high school social studies classroom, a long way away from Chatard, is generally a really nice place to be thanks to the Cycle of Generosity. Soots, your brilliance, guidance and humor were extra-ordinary. Ben Anderson '91
Remember during the last all school assembly before Christmas break? Everyone would be in the gym, the choir would sing, the band would play, and then Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" would blare over the loudspeakers, and into the gym would come "Santa Soots", throwing candy to all the students in the bleachers. Mr. Soots, I cannot thank you enough for all the wonderful memories, from the classroom to the streets of Europe, you taught us all well. My family watched "It's A Wonderful Life" last night, and when I think about all the lives you've touched, and how far reaching your influence remains, I'm so very thankful that you were a part of my life. May God hold you in the palm of His hand. Sheila Kenney McNelis '86
Mr. Soots, I will always remember how I discovered a love for writing, as well as the necessity to work hard to become a writer, in your class during senior year. Thanks for awakening and encouraging that in me.
God bless you!
One of the greatest things about David has become apparent after reading these comments from his friends, students, and colleagues: he somehow managed to make us feel special about who WE are and what WE have become. This is a rare and wonderful gift he had, and he did it so effortlessly. Mr. Soots, you were incredibly caring and we thank you for what you have given us. God bless you, Mike Heneghan '93
Mr. Soots not only gave me an understanding of great works of art and literature, but imparted a passion for reading and re-reading them. I not only got an education, but came to better understand the value of it through his classes. He once told me: "Many people have good ideas but only the really smart ones write them down." As I struggle to finish a PhD dissertation and become a teacher myself, I often remember the many words of wisdom he shared with me. -Miriam Kienle, Class of 1997
Mr. Soots, one of the colorful characters who entered my life and made we smile. The memories will last forever, thanks friend. Elaine Carson
never really got to know him, he sounds like an incredible person. I'll miss you
Dear Mr. Soots, you knew, of course, that I eventually made my way to live in Florence, though perhaps I never told you that if I came this far it was also thanks to your enlightenment and quiet encouragement. I will always be grateful for your sensitivity and your particular gift for inspiring others to look beyond the surface, to read between the lines, to listen for the undertones, and to appreciate the beauty there.
Mr. Soots. All he had to do was walk in and immediately a smile came to your face. You could see a smile in his eyes. A very welcoming soul. Mr. Soots and I never spoke much to each other, but I liked him. Quiet man but someone that had an aura for enjoying life. A charming man. A man you'd want to listen to. David you will be missed.
Dave Soots gave me a love for literature & writing. When I saw myself through his eyes it gave me confidence to be a better person. He taught me how to express my feeling through the written word. Dave was a vibrant personality who touched the lives of so many. His work on earth is finished but his impact continues on through the lives he touched. RIP Dave
It has been wonderful to read all the comments on my old friend Dave. He obviously touched many of the Chatard community. We had lost touch over the years but I knew he would become something special. A great guy and a good friend. All these folks had the honor of knowing you. Heaven just became a happier place.
SOOTSIE,
YOUR PASSING SADDENS ME GREATLY. IN SOMEONE'S DEATH, WE SOMETIMES TEND TO BE SELFISH & FEEL SORRY FOR OURSELVES ! I KNOW YOUR "RETIREMENT" IN HEAVEN WILL BE THE REFLECTION OF YOUR WONDERFUL DEEDS ON EARTH. (I WAS A COLLEAGUE AT CHATARD IN THE '70'S.)
TOM SANDERS
I've moved many times since high school, and each time I've reduced my book collection for practical purposes. One of the few books that is off limits to culling is Thurber Country, a book that Soots assigned to me. I've grown up with it, and I can't thank him enough for the richness he's added to my life. He was also my brother Alan's favorite teacher, and we had many late night conversations about the inspiration Soots brought to our lives. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then my classroom is a tribute to Soots and all the great teachers.
Anne Jenkins Kruchten '93
Most teachers are able to impart knowledge to their students. Mr. Soots did much more important work. He made the lives and spirits of his students richer. Mr. Soots broadened my view of the world, and I am forever grateful for that.
Soots, I realize that most of these well-written comments are based on memories of you in the classroom, but your teaching went far beyond the four walls of any classroom. You served as my inspiration, not only as a teacher,but life in general.As a true urban pioneer, you carried out your vision of a downtown life by appreciating the potential of a rundown, Victorian bungalow, purchasing it at auction, and turning it into a quaint, cozy home of historical significance that soon became the personification of David L. Soots from the adorable attic bedroom all the way down to the whimsical wine cellar with its crazy time machine. Only you could take a damp, dark, scary cellar and within a few weeks transform it into a comfortable place to gather with friends and sip wine.
Soots, you coerced me to move downtown; you made good on your promise that you would prove to me how much Downtown Indy has to offer: the cultural trail, the symphony, First Fridays, the outstanding restaurants, the theatre, the murals along the canal, Garfield Park outings, really too many to list....My only regret is that our time together as Downtown buddies was only two years. Two years I will always cherish. Val Mullin (BCHS teacher, 1978-2012)
My favorite Soots quotes:
- "Quiet on the prayer"
- "Bring snacks - specifically cheese danish"
- "Mark it well"
You'll be missed Soots...
Rest In Peace, Mr. Soots.
Mr. Soots was one of the few teachers to look past my rambunctiousness and make me feel as though I had talent in writing....years later, I became a published author as I began working for a nationally-circulated magazine as--you guessed it--a writer! I've been saying for years that he was the one who gave me the faith needed in myself to pursue writing, and thankfully, I had the opportunity to let him know as much, too. RIP Mr. Soots!
What a loss of the best teachers Chatard ever saw. Dave had patience and love for everyone and his cynical sometimes dark humor influenced me so much. He helped all students feel more inclusive and never played favorites. We all were tapped down a peg in his classes knowing that we weren't nearly as cool as him. I remember approaching Dave to try to get in the PM AP classes junior year. He told me with all honesty that I wouldn't make it. His decision helped me truly enjoy that 88 senior year and quite possibly is the reason I am a happy, lifelong ski bum.
RIP Dave Soots
I remember Mr. Soots giving us an index card for exams and we could fill it with as much information as we wanted. If I would have spent just as much time studying as I did filling out the tiny cheat sheet then I might have gotten a good grade on his tests. I always enjoyed his classes and it is helped me become the teacher I am today.-- Sara Ford, class of 2001
I am tearful to know that the world has lost a great human being but am pleased to know that Mr. Soots blessed so many lives. He showed me that reading could be enjoyable and encouraged me to write. We gave him such a hard time with stealing the bell off his desk daily to quizing him about the contents of his thermos. Rarely a cross word was taken and encouragement always expressed to even us bad kids. Loving memories of a stellar man. Rest in peace.
Emily McClure class of '97
Soots - an inspiration. You helped us name our friend Carol - a lover of literature like you - she is still a 'mushhead'. You transformed so many lives. As a teacher now, I strive to live up to the standards set by you and other great teachers at CHS. May God speed your gentle soul back home.
Eileen Weisenbach Keller Class of '79
I just discovered this site and am saddened to discover that my old friend and colleague David passed away much too soon. To all of us who worked at Chatard during his tenure, he was a mentor and friend. Rest in peace, Sootsy.
—Michael Conroy
I went to grade school with David and was shocked to hear he had passed. I spent nearly 20 years living in Alaska and had lost touch with so many. He was always quiet and ever so smart in grade school. He apparently never changed from the guy he was in school throughout his life. From reading all that has been written above with all the love and happiness to have known him is still true all these years later. God Bless you David and know you have old, old, people that will miss you too. I am glad that I knew you and grew up with you at school. RIP
Mary Cay Roberts Litel
I'm coming to this site very late (2019) but I share the loss of David strongly because of how he impacted me my senior year of 1988. He opened a whole new world for me into the humanities, the arts, architecture, theatrical drama and musicals, poetry, Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, and more importantly, simply his kindness and humor. He really challenged me and inspired me even with his own poetry that he shared with me on one occasion. I wish I had been more thoughtful in high school and taken more time to thank him for his investment in me as a student. I miss him after all these years. I'm honored to have been his student.
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