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Death of Rockwood middle school teacher latest tragedy for district

Bob Wilhite, the band director and teacher at Crestview Middle School, died this week, a statement from the district said.
Credit: Crestview Middle School

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The Rockwood School District is in mourning again after the death of another teacher this month.

Bob Wilhite, the band director and a teacher at Crestview Middle School, died this week, a statement from the district said.

"Bob was an outstanding teacher and friend to staff and students," a statement from the district said. "He touched countless lives with his music and dedication to students and his craft over the years, and he will be greatly missed."

The statement did not say how Wilhite died.

The district is still off for winter break, but a post from the school said it will be open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for students and families to gather and remember Wilhite.

"Families may stop in and leave a kind word or note that we will share with the Wilhite family," the post said.

His death is another tragic incident for the district in what has been a long few months. In November, two Marquette High School students were killed and two others were injured in a crash. A third teenager who attended De Smet High School was also killed in the crash.

RELATED: Memorial grows for 3 high schoolers killed in Sunday crash in St. Louis County

In early December, 18-year-old Eureka High School student Kiley Kennedy was shot and killed in the same week a teacher in the district died unexpectedly. 

Kennedy was found dead near Highway 100 and Country Aire Lane on Dec. 1. Days later, two 16-year-old boys were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the case.

RELATED: Eureka High School senior identified as victim in Franklin County death investigation

On Dec. 15, Carl Hudson, a longtime educator and mentor in the district, died after an extended illness. The district did not say what the illness was. Hudson joined Rockwood in 2010 after serving as a teacher, coach and administrator in the Parkway and Kirkwood School Districts.

RELATED: 'He was a light': Community mourns loss of beloved Marquette High School administrator

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