For a teacher who taught Auto Collision for only two years, spending the majority of last year coping with lung cancer, it did not make a difference: Craig Troup’s passing left a trail beyond the capacity that two years would.
Troup’s cancer was diagnosed last September. However, he still continued to teach without fail.
“He tried to make the best of the year for us,” junior William Rivera said in response to last year’s class.
As his life became more and more difficult for Troup, it did not stop him from pushing the students he connected with “to become better people,” Rivera said.
When his cancer progressed to a point where he could no longer teach, a substitute had to take over.
“We kind of miss him,” junior Ronald Estrada said. “Everything is really different.”
Students respected Troup to such an extent that students like senior Santiago Tapia and other classmates had made plans to visit him in the hospital.
“It feels like it never really happened,” Tapia said. “It hasn’t gotten to us yet.”
Before coming to Marshall, Troup taught Auto Collision at Edison High School’s Academy from 2003-2009. It wrote a tribute to him on his online memorial.
At Edison, Troup helped Skills USA competitors to regional and state honors.
His contributions were significant to Edison Academy’s business partnership with Mt. Vernon Estate, which allowed a countless number of students to become interns and shadow jobs.
Friends commended Troup’s invaluable skills and knowledge in auto repair; colleagues complimented his “Garage Coffee” and nearly everyone, including his friends and family, fondly recalled Troup riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle in a Santa suit.
Troup is survived by a wife, three daughters and a brother.
2011-11-10