Jean Kuczka, 61, was a mother of five and grandmother of six whose life was tragically cut short on Monday when a gunman entered her classroom at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Mo., and opened fire.
Jean’s 27-year-old daughter, Abbey Kuczka, tells PEOPLE that her mom was a loving and passionate teacher who would do anything for her students.
“My mom gave respect to everyone, and I think that’s what made her stand out, because she respected every single student she had and students felt that, so they also respected her,” Abbey says.
Jean — who Abbey says loved Snoopy, Jimmy Buffett and her family — began her career with St. Louis Public Schools in 2002 and began working at CVPA High School in 2008. She was a health and physical education teacher.
Alexzandria Bell, 15, a gifted dancer who loved art, was the other fatal victim of the shooting, which also injured seven people.
Jean Kuczka and her dog Charlie, named after Charlie Brown.Abbey Kuczka
A former student of Jean’s said she wasn’t surprised the teacher would protect her students at all costs.
“When I found out, the first thing I could think about was … that’s how much she cared about the students,“Alexis Allen-Brown told CNN. “She was going to save those babies.”
Steve Sr. (far left) and Jean Kuczka (far right) with their five children, Joe, Megan, Isabelle, Abbey and Steve Jr.Abbey Kuczka
Abbey also knew how tight of a bond Jean shared with her students and coworkers during her decades-long teaching career.
“If we would see her former students or I would go up to her school, they would just go on and on about how much they loved my mom,” Abbey says.
In recent years, Abbey would help her mom decorate her classroom before the new school year began.
“The vibe I got from her classroom was that it’s a safe environment that people can feel comfortable in,” Abbey says.
Last Trip with Mom
Abbey would spend the weekends trying new things with her mom. This past Sunday, they took their last trip together, unbeknownst to them at the time.
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Abbey visited Tower Rock on the Mississippi River with her mother and father and snapped a photo in front of the landmark.
“We ended up sitting in traffic for two hours, and it’s crazy down there because no one is directing traffic, but it was like a Godsend, like God said, ‘You need this time to sit in traffic with your mom,'” Abbey said.
Abbey Kuczka with her parents Steve and Jean Kuczka at Tower Rock in Missouri on Oct. 23.Abbey Kuczka
Throughout her 61 years, Jean had plenty of passions in addition to her students and family.
Each year, she participated in JDRF’s Ride to Cure Diabetes to help raise money to find a cure for juvenile diabetes after one of her sons was diagnosed at 10 years old. Jean raised the funds for the ride during a trivia night this September and was set to go to Amelia Island in December to participate in the bike ride.
Jean also excelled in sports. She attended Southwest Missouri State University — now known as Missouri State — on a field hockey scholarship and was a member of the 1979 National Championship team. In 2010, that championship team was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Abbey tells PEOPLE that Jean’s love of sports was passed down to her children.
Jean resided in Jefferson County with her husband Steve. In 2007, the couple built their dream log house. Every year, they would host a large Christmas party.
The loving mother had a tight bond with each of her children; the Kuczka family went on annual trips together.
This Christmas, the family planned to go to Pompano Beach, Fla. to escape the cold Missouri winter for a short time, like they do every year.
“That was one of my mom’s favorite places to go,” Abbey says.
The Kuczka family is asking that any donations in Jean’s name go toJean’s JDRF’s Ride to Cure Diabetes page.
source: people.com
