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Wausau Daily Herald - Teacher of deaf 'quite a woman'
For 32 years, Claudia Taylor drove in any and all weather conditions from Stevens Point to her job at Grant Elementary School in Wausau.
Her dedication and compassion will be missed, family members and co-workers said Monday.
Taylor, 57, died Thursday after a four-year battle with cancer. She was a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing at the school and sometimes served as teacher in charge when the principal was away.
"She loved two things more than anything -- her family and her students," Claudia's widower, Patrick Taylor, said. "She was the kind of teacher that everybody should have."
Taylor described her as someone who enjoyed a challenge and had a great sense of humor.
Claudia Taylor earned her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1971 and her master's from Marian College in 1997. She began her teaching career at Washington Elementary School in Stevens Point, where she taught for a few years before moving to the Wausau School District.
Mary Ann Stark worked with Taylor as a sign language interpreter at the school for 21 years.
Former students would come back as adults with their children to visit Taylor, Stark said.
Stark learned from Taylor by observing her teaching methods, and she said it helped her relate to students.
Teachers who work with deaf and hard of hearing children have to work closely with families, said Ann Wicklund, the district's director of special education.
Claudia Taylor tried to connect families with helpful technology and took time to learn about her students' lives, Wicklund said.
"I feel very lucky to have known her," Wicklund said. "She was quite a woman."
A funeral Mass for Taylor will be held at 7 p.m. today at St. Joseph Convent Chapel in Stevens Point.
For 32 years, Claudia Taylor drove in any and all weather conditions from Stevens Point to her job at Grant Elementary School in Wausau.
Her dedication and compassion will be missed, family members and co-workers said Monday.
Taylor, 57, died Thursday after a four-year battle with cancer. She was a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing at the school and sometimes served as teacher in charge when the principal was away.
"She loved two things more than anything -- her family and her students," Claudia's widower, Patrick Taylor, said. "She was the kind of teacher that everybody should have."
Taylor described her as someone who enjoyed a challenge and had a great sense of humor.
Claudia Taylor earned her bachelor's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1971 and her master's from Marian College in 1997. She began her teaching career at Washington Elementary School in Stevens Point, where she taught for a few years before moving to the Wausau School District.
Mary Ann Stark worked with Taylor as a sign language interpreter at the school for 21 years.
Former students would come back as adults with their children to visit Taylor, Stark said.
Stark learned from Taylor by observing her teaching methods, and she said it helped her relate to students.
Teachers who work with deaf and hard of hearing children have to work closely with families, said Ann Wicklund, the district's director of special education.
Claudia Taylor tried to connect families with helpful technology and took time to learn about her students' lives, Wicklund said.
"I feel very lucky to have known her," Wicklund said. "She was quite a woman."
A funeral Mass for Taylor will be held at 7 p.m. today at St. Joseph Convent Chapel in Stevens Point.