St. Charles loses teacher in auto accident
The St. Charles school community will gather to mourn the loss of a teacher beloved for the lasting impressions he left on his students.
T.J. Sportsman, 34, a gym teacher at Munhall Elementary and basketball coach at Haines Middle School for 10 years, died in a highway accident Sunday while returning from a fishing tournament he won in Wisconsin.
The Elgin native became known for his athletic prowess while attending Burlington Central High School. He was the Daily Herald Player of the year in 1999 for his efforts on the basketball team. He graduated as the second leading scorer in school history.
Sportsman married his high school sweetheart, Charity Preussler, and moved to St. Charles before eventually settling in Sycamore. He also leaves behind children Andrew and Abigail.
Shortly after the death became public, an online fundraising page for his wife and two children became a sounding board for friends, family, students and co-workers.
"Mr. Sportsman was mentioned in my house on a daily basis," wrote the Jacobus Family. "Things shared included the song he played, sang and/or danced to that day, the game he created or maybe the story he told. He was truly an inspiration."
Remembrances of his teaching also included Sportsman's affinity for square dancing, magic tricks and music. "Mr. Sportsman has left my children and myself with great memories of Munhall," wrote Dan and Gina Panek on the fundraiser page. "I don't think I will ever be able to hear 'Thriller' or 'Larger Than Life' without thinking of him. He is truly missed."
The outreach had yielded 550 donations totaling $44,587 as of Thursday afternoon. The goal is $50,000.
Visitation services are 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Lord of Life Church in Elburn. The funeral is 11 a.m. Saturday at the church.
"The amount of support has been overwhelming and humbling," wrote sister Tia Sportsman on the fundraising page. "The comments and stories you have been leaving have been so unbelievably comforting to me and my family, especially those from his students. Those really have been invaluable to us."