Batavia teacher died from natural causes

The death of a 39-year-old Batavia teacher this week was from natural causes.

Laura Walters, a Spanish teacher at Hoover-Wood Elementary School, was found dead at the school on Tuesday afternoon, where she had been preparing for the start of school Wednesday.

Kane County Coroner Chuck West Wednesday night said the preliminary cause of death was "a pulmonary emboli (from) complications of a foot injury."

Counselors will be available for students at the school all week, and officials held an optional meeting with parents Wednesday morning about how to talk to children about the death.

"The emotion of an opening day with a loss like this was mixed for everyone," Superintendent Jack Barshinger said.

In the classrooms, students traced their handprints, and wrote a sympathy message on them to be placed on a banner to be given to Walters' family.

"We'll miss you Mrs. Walters," one handwritten note from a parent on a banner said. "All of our boys love singing the songs you taught them in Spanish. Our thoughts are with your family."

Parents also asked about what they could do for the Walters family, and whether a scholarship fund would be established for her son.

Walters, who lived in Sugar Grove, had taught for 15 years in the district. Before coming to Hoover-Wood, she taught at Rotolo Middle School.

Visitation for Walters will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Moss Family Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Ave. in Batavia. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at River Glen Presbyterian Church, 1140 Raymond Road, Naperville.