The Campbell Reporter
Community
Photograph courtesy of Rolling Hills Middle School
Will Be Missed: Rolling Hills Middle School P.E. teacher Brian Mayock was known for his fisherman's hat. At the end of the year, eighth-graders signed it as a graduation tradition.
Community turns out to remember P.E. teacher
By Lisa Sibley
Brian Mayock's floppy, khaki-colored fisherman's hat was his trademark. While it protected his bald head from the sun, it was also part of a tradition--a way for his students to say goodbye to him.
"At the end of the year, at the eighth-grade graduation party, instead of signing a yearbook, we signed his hat," said Westmont High School freshman Cassie Polini, a Mayock student. "It was part of him. It's what he wore every day."
A memorial mass was held Nov. 6 at St. Lucy's Church in Campbell in honor of Mayock, where signatures were again part of the celebration of his life.
Brian Anderson Mayock was born June 14, 1950, in San Mateo. He died unexpectedly on Oct. 31 from natural causes at age 56.
A long banner stretched across the pavement at the entrance to the church, and posters covered the inside of the parish walls--filled with an outpouring of names, messages, memories and photographs of Mayock from those who knew him as a loving father, brother and dedicated physical education teacher.
He was a fourth-generation Californian who spent most of his childhood in Southern California but had lived in Campbell for 24 years. Mayock had a lifelong interest in sports and physical fitness, expressed through his participation in soccer, tennis, kickboxing and weightlifting. He found his calling as a teacher later in life and went back to school at night to finish his college degree and teaching credential in 1991 from San José State University.
Mayock's cheerful spirit, enthusiasm for sports and ability to connect with youth were hallmarks of his career as a P.E. teacher at Rolling Hills Middle School. He had been a teacher there since 1998, where he started teaching fifth-grade math and later went on to teach seventh- and eighth-grade P.E.
"He was just a marvelous man. He'd had a huge impact on the kids and the staff," said Rolling Hills Principal Kathleen Gibbs. "He was a quiet, gentle person."
The hundreds of current and former students, parents, educators and teachers he'd touched over the years who attended the mass were a testimony to his influence on this community. The church was packed to standing-room-only capacity.
"I'm convinced that Brian learned as much from the students he taught as you were learning from him," said the Rev. David Mercer, during the service. "That's one of the great things about being a teacher."
In the days following his death, students and teachers expressed their fondness for Mayock by wearing their P.E. T-shirts to school and writing messages such as "We love you and miss you, Mr. Mayock," on their arms and on posters and memorials throughout campus.
"It was just a wonderful tribute to see how many lives he's touched," said Mayock's sister, Karen Lefton, after visiting the school to pick up her brother's belongings.
The students and staff are also planning to create a garden on the school campus that will be dedicated in Mayock's memory, as well as possibly adding a rack in the gym to showcase his signed fisherman's hats.
"He was just a funny, sweet, lovely man who never said a bad thing about anybody. He was just a great guy," Gibbs added. "We are all trying our best to figure out how to cope."
The school's athletic director, Carmon Allen-Schnoor, who taught alongside Mayock for about seven years, said Mayock's current eighth-grade class is also going to be able to sign his fisherman's hat at the end of the school year. Allen-Schnoor recalled crossing paths with Mayock every morning, and said he was always smiling. An eternal optimist, he was known for his quick-witted one-liners and constant sense of humor.
Mayock is survived by his son, 17-year-old Logan Mayock; sister and brother-in-law Karen and Steve Lefton of Palo Alto; and brother and sister-in-law Michael and Lupi Mayock of Pasadena. He is also survived by nieces Lisa Mayock, Erin Schenone and Erica Harris; and nephews Christian Whitaker and Matthew Mayock.
An additional memorial service will be held at Rolling Hills, with a date to be determined, for his current and past students.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to a fund established for Mayock's son. Donations can be sent to the Logan Mayock Trust Fund, Washington Mutual, 199 Main St, Los Altos, CA 94022.
