HIGHLAND PARK – There was nothing ordinary about band and orchestra teacher Steven Rohwer, who took a creative approach to everything including breakfast.
Steve Rohwer
While most teachers brought store-bought items or homemade goods that can be made the night before, when it was Rohwer’s turn to host the Wayne Thomas Friday staff breakfasts, “he had classical music playing in the teachers lounge and was donned in an apron and chef’s hat,” said Emily Crutchfield, music teacher. “In addition to some other tasty treats, he had hot cider for us in the crock pot, and was making omelets to order.”
Many teachers and students are mourning the loss of Rohwer, who died as a result of a sudden medical emergency on Saturday, November 12. The 54- year-old taught at Oak Terrace and Wayne Thomas Elementary Schools, and previously taught at Northwood Junior High for a total of 14 years.
“The thing that made Steve Rohwer a great teacher was his ability to meet students where they were,” said Crutchfield. “It takes a special kind of person to teach beginning instrumental music, and Mr. Rohwer had the patience for it. He especially excelled in working with our students who have special needs.”
Crutchfield said she would go to Rohwer for advice about how to meet certain students’ needs, especially when she was teaching the recorder. “He has a daughter with special needs, and he used the knowledge and compassion he gained from working with her and applied that to his students in District 112.”
Crutchfield worked with Rohwer for 10 years and remembers that he was soft spoken but funny: “On Halloween, I was in the copy room with Steve and another teacher, and we were talking about the day,” she said. “He was pretty quiet, and it wasn’t until the end of the conversation when he smiled that I realized he had vampire fangs in his mouth.”
Margaret Delligatti, band and orchestra teacher at Northwood Jr. High School, said she’ll miss Rohwer’s kindness, his laugh and his perspective. “When he would get started, Mr. Rohwer had one of the heartiest laughs I’ve ever heard. You couldn’t help but laugh with him. He was truly a champion for the little guy, and also understood the fight it took to overcome adversity and the patience it took to persevere,” she added.
Delligatti and Rohwer worked together in the district for 14 years – 10 years at Northwood and four years when she was the general music teacher at Wayne Thomas Elementary School. “As a band and orchestra director, Mr. Rohwer had the opportunity to play all of the instruments in the band and orchestra,” she said. “If I remember correctly, he was a woodwind specialist, but was obviously talented on many different instruments.”
Delligatti said Rohwer’s family meant the world to him. “There wasn’t a time we were working where he didn’t share a heartfelt story about his weekend with his family or a situation he was proud to experience. He loved them very much.”
Susan Siciliano teaches music in the room next door to Rohwer at Oak Terrace Elementary School, and worked with him throughout his career at District 112. “At Oak Terrace, our students are very diverse, so the teaching may be more challenging than at other D-112 schools,” she said. “Steve was always trying to find different ways to reach all students, and any time I needed his help, he was always there for me.”
A memorial service for Steve Rohwer will be held on Friday, November 18 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 806 Ridge Avenue in Evanston. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. with a service to follow at 6 p.m. All family, friends and colleagues are welcome.
“Steve was a caring and compassionate man who shared these qualities with his students every day,” said Delligatti. “His commitment to education in District 112 will be greatly missed by his students and the staff who worked with him.”