John Samuel Detrick, 85

December 29, 2020
Dear Columbus Academy Alumni, Faculty, Staff and Friends,
Yesterday, we learned of John Detrick’s passing on Saturday, December 26. Known for his “Detrickisms,” unconventional attire, captivating humor and a teaching style admired by students and colleagues alike, John taught at Columbus Academy from 1961 until his retirement in 1994. He was the first alumnus ever hired by the school, originally hired to lead a physics lab at the Nelson Road campus and then, when the school moved to Cherry Bottom Road, to teach every mathematics course offered to students.
After considering the ministry, John decided during his senior year at Ohio Wesleyan University to become a teacher. On his way to interview for seminary school, John recalled decades later in an Academy magazine story that “All of a sudden my being a minster just didn’t fit. I figured that the best thing to be is a teacher. If you want to do something in this world, you begin by working with young minds that are not yet closed to learning.” Seeing his role as more coach and salesman than teacher, John was quoted as saying “First you must capture students’ attention, then you try to make them want to learn.” And capture their attention he did, from presenting students with trophies labeled “The World’s Greatest Math Student” and his infamous “Friday small quiz” to sliding down a rope to give his Cum Laude address, John encouraged students to think “If a question is ambiguous, do it both ways.”
In addition to teaching, for 20-some years John chaired Academy’s math department where he initiated such changes as using graphing calculators. He also served as the school’s plant manager and maintenance director, maintaining the campus as often as teaching at the blackboard. His duties also included overseeing Saturday morning hours.

“He was such an interesting teacher,” remembered John Wuorinen ’80, who had Mr. Detrick as a student and later befriended him as a colleague in Academy’s math department. “He believed in cooperative learning and always encouraged tests that went beyond just memorizing facts or algorithms. In many ways, he was ahead of his time!”

In 1992, John received the Alumni Service Award and in my eight years as Head of School, he has been invariably present at alumni functions. Erich Hunker ’81, our assistant head of school for development and external relations, shared with me his reflections as a former student and fellow alumnus of John’s: “As a student in his class and by virtue of spending time around him through my friendship with his son and my classmate Sam, Mr. Detrick is a cherished memory of my time at the Academy. Professionally and over my 21 years of working at the school, I’ve always been appreciative of his loyalty as a class agent, inspired by his generosity as a donor and impressed by the fact that I don’t think he ever missed attending an Alumni Holiday Luncheon or Reunion Weekend.”

Outside of Columbus Academy, central in John’s life was his family. Family to John was his wife Helen and his children LuAnn, John, Sam ’81 and Drew ’85. His extended family during the summertime for over 20 years was Camp Kawanhee in Weld, Maine, where John served as counselor and assistant director. His three sons camped and counseled alongside him, as did countless other CA alumni.

According to the Detrick family, a celebration of John’s life will be announced at a later date.

We will all miss John’s immutable spirit and his true dedication to the school and his students. If you would like to send a message to the Detricks or share a memory of John with the school and his family, please reply back to this email. Melissa Clarke Beckett, our director of alumni relations, will collect all of the messages and memories to share with the family.
Sincerely,

Melissa Soderberg
Head of School

Detrick, John
John Samuel Detrick, 85, passed away peacefully on December 26, 2020. John was born in Worthington, Ohio to the late Margaret May and Forrest Roedel Detrick. He attended Worthington Public Schools until the seventh grade at which time he transferred to Columbus Academy, graduating in 1953. A member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, Theta Alpha Phi national theatre honors fraternity and Wesleyan Players, John graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1957 with a BS in Mathematics. John began his career in 1957 working on the A3J Vigilante at North American Aviation in Columbus, OH and Palmdale, CA. In 1960, he started teaching at Olentangy High School and in 1961 he became the first alumnus to join the faculty of Columbus Academy (CA), then located on Nelson Road. While at CA, he chaired the Math Department, taught Calculus, Geometry, Statistics, Algebra, received the 1992 Alumni Service Award and retired in 1994. John was actively involved with Camp Kawanhee for Boys in Weld, Maine. His association with Kawanhee began in 1946; despite having his two front teeth knocked out by a bat at home plate during his first year as a camper, the love affair continued over the next 74 years as he served in many capacities including Counselor, Director of Activities, Contractor/Builder and Board Member. John was predeceased by his brother Forrest William Detrick and sister Cynthia Detrick Oldmixon. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Helen Legg Detrick; children, Lucia Weihe of Columbus, John (Jennifer) Detrick, Jr. of Denver, Samuel (Audrey) Detrick of Indianapolis, Andrew (Elizabeth) Detrick of Snowmass Village; niece, Cynthia Oldmixon Jamison of Charlottesville; grandchildren, Keeley, Gordon, Georgiana, Forrest, Erika, Andrew Jordan, Alexandra; and extended family and dear friends. John’s guiding principle was to “leave the world a little better place than when you found it.” His family feels, with all the love they can muster, that he succeeded. A celebration of John’s life will occur at a later date. A debt of gratitude is owed to Ohio Health Hospice for their care and The OSU Body Donation Program. For those wishing, contributions may be made to the George and Raymond Frank Foundation at Camp Kawanhee and/or Columbus Academy.

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Published in The Columbus Dispatch from Dec. 31, 2020 to Jan. 4, 2021.