A TRIBUTE TO MR. HARTMANN

THE LOSS OF ONE OF NRHS’S GREATS

BY EMMA KELLEY

October 6, 2020, was a devastating day for the North Royalton community, as beloved science teacher, David Hartmann, sadly passed away. With 24 years of teaching experience at NRHS, Mr. Hartmann was highly esteemed by his students and the teaching staff. At 50, he was a loving husband and father of two children, an amazing colleague, a friend, a coach, and a huge role model/ inspiration for many young students that were lucky to have him as a teacher. 2020 had already been a difficult year for everyone around the world. But, our community was devastated even further by the news of Mr. Hartmann passing away. To express their gratitude and sadness, many former NRHS students paid their respects on Twitter. Eric Purcel, a 2020 graduate, tweeted, “I always thought he’d outlive us all. Crazy I’ll never see him again. He taught me so much more than science and improved the lives of so many. David Hartmann you will be missed.”

The day after his passing, students, teachers, and other adults from our community filled the NoRo Nation Twitter feed with heartwarming stories of Mr. Hartmann. And, as expected, the good memories were also shared beyond Twitter. In memory of Mr. Hartmann, a select group of teachers shared their favorite work-related and personal memories of him, all which illuminate how he inspired and cared for the people both in and outside of his own classroom.

“A gentle giant,” were the first words that Mr. Hoover said about Mr. Hartmann. The two met in the summer of 2001 when Mr. Hoover began teaching history and coaching football at NRHS. The pair really got to know each other on the field and throughout the next few years of their teaching careers. Mr. Hoover said, “He was just a great guy all around. You could immediately get his sense of humor and he was a very laid back individual.” Though Hartmann’s height may have made him seem a little intimidating at first, he really had the kindest heart and made the most out of his fifty years of life. In agreement, Mr. Nestoff said, “He was a spur-ofthe-moment kind of guy. He had so many amazing stories from Canada and different trips that he went on with his family…what a great way to live life.”

Along with his teddy bear-like demeanor, Mr. Hartmann was a confident and humble individual. “He was sure of himself,” said Mr. Drvenkar, another science teacher at NRHS. “He always commanded respect, but he didn’t have to say it… it was just his presence.” As a first-year teacher and coach for three sports, Mr. Drvenkar was trying to keep his nose above water. In doing so, he turned to Mr. Hartmann for help. “He gave me all of his resources

and materials to use, and he never made an issue of it. Instead, he asked me what I was bringing to the table and how I was going to make his lessons better.” According to Drvenkar, this simple act of kindness made him a better teacher and taught him that humility is an important quality to carry through life and one’s teaching career.

Anyone that knew Mr. Hartmann also knew that he was a huge foodie. From stocking the fridge in the break room with crazy amounts of food, to making a sandwich out of his leftover Thanksgiving meal or grilling on the roof of the school, Mr. Hartmann never ran out of ways to try new things. “Every Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Hartmann would talk about this leftover Thanksgiving sandwich that he made,” said Mr. Salyards. “Year three of us co-teaching, I came into the classroom and there was a slideshow presentation on how to make the sandwich.” After a few years of working together, Hoover and Hartmann also started a food-related tradition that they called “The Original Senior Cookout.” As Hoover recalled, “We started bringing in a grill in the back parking lot where the band practices, and we would both be manning the grill all day for our seniors. We had such a great time cooking all day.”

Luckily these fun school memories went on for years. Not only was Mr. Hartmann a foodie, but he was also a prankster. Mr. Drvenkar said, “Early on we went back and forth with some pretty good pranks.” After an Ohio State versus Michigan game in which OSU won, Drvenkar rearranged all of the desks in Mr. Hartmann’s classroom and TPed everything in sight. To get him back, “Hartmann got hot glue guns and anything that could be glued down, he glued. It took me months to find everything.” With the competitive yet friendly banter in the school environment, Mr. Hartmann lifted the spirits of many people at NRHS.

Finally, Mr. Hartmann loved and valued his family above everything else. Reminiscing about his daily routine, Mr. Nestoff said, “Every morning at seven oclock, I would go to Mr. Boch’s and Mr. Hartmann’s back room to get my coffee. As I was making the coffee, Hartmann would come in and call his daughter Deanna (Dee) to make sure she was ready for school. Every single day would be the same. Mr. Hartmann was so patient with her, and it was really sweet. He was just a really good dad in that way.”

Mr. Hartmann always made sure that he put his family first and that he spent as much time as possible with them. Both Mr. Hoover and Mr. Salyards took this advice to heart and incorporated it in their own lives. “One of the most valuable things that I learned from Hartmann was that when you go home, it needs to be home. Don’t always take your work home with you. You do your work hard during the day, and try to leave your work at the school,” said Mr. Hoover. Besides when he would call Dee

Hartmann (left) and Hoover (right) grilling for the seniors.

from the high school, Mr. Hartmann tried his best to keep his school and home lives separate. After a day of teaching and coaching at NRHS, Mr. Hartmann would go home and help coach his son Curtis in football or go on a fun family trip with his wife, Diane, and the kids. After five years of co-teaching with Mr. Hartmann, Mr. Salyards said, “The most important thing that he taught me wasn’t even really school related. It was just that spending as much time with your kids as possible is the most important thing that you can do.”

As the third quarter of the school year comes to an end and NRHS continues to mourn the loss of David Hartmann, we must remember the man that he truly was. Mr. Hartmann was a humble, kind, passionate, loving, and dedicated individual. He brought joy to the lives of so many people around him and positively impacted the lives of not only the students at NRHS, but the teachers as well. My condolences go out to Diane, Curtis, and Deanna Hartmann. I am so sorry for their loss and I am thankful that I got to know Mr. Hartmann in the short amount of time that I had him as a science teacher myself. He will truly be missed.