He was a New York hero. He loved children and helped many to find their way.
Several eighth graders came to express gratitude for the guidance he gave them. "He was never too busy to give us advice," said one. "He liked us and we liked him."
The death from swine flu of Mitchell Wiener, assistant principal of IS 238 in Hollis, stunned the school. He was a towering figure as an educator -- and that was recognized by fellow teachers and administrators as well as children.
But perhaps the best tributes to Mitchell Wiener at his funeral came from his own children. His 23-year-old son, Adam, said he was "one of a kind," adding that "people should remember my father for what he did and not for the hysteria going on outside." He called his father "larger than life."
His boss, the school principal, Joseph Gates, called Wiener a devoted person, the first to arrive every day and the last to leave. He was, the principal said, "the heart and soul" of the school.
Another of Wiener's sons, 18-year-old Jordan, read from the essay he wrote on his college application. He said his dad "had the elements of a hero" and then, as he read further, came the words: "Mitchell Wiener is the rock of my family." And he burst into tears.
A day after the funeral, Jordan threw a no-hitter for Robert F. Kennedy High School. He pitched five innings in the playoff game, striking out 14 batters in the 10-0 victory. About his dad, he said: "I knew that's what he would have wanted from me, to go out there and pitch. I was going to pitch no matter what."
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Jordan Wiener is right about his dad. Mitchell Wiener was a hero of New York. A man who devotes his life to children and family and inspires them is as much a hero as those who make spectacular rescues or battle criminals.
Henry Brooks Adams wrote: "A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops."
The Daily News headline summed it up well: "Tears, Memories Flow for 'the Greatest Dad.'"
