Final farewell for beloved Campbell teacher

CAMPBELL

Many incoming freshmen such as Ryan Phillips are naturally nervous and a bit intimidated about entering high school.

Unlike most ninth-graders, though, Ryan had Michael 'Mickey' Soroka in his corner.

'He made me want to be a freshman and have him the rest of my high-school career,' Ryan, a Campbell Memorial High School junior, said of Soroka, a popular teacher who collapsed Tuesday morning in the school's multimedia room and died a short time later. He was 49.

Ryan also was one of hundreds of students, colleagues, family members and friends who attended a Saturday morning memorial and funeral service in St. Michael's Byzantine Catholic Church to honor the longtime teacher.

Soroka is a 1980 Campbell Memorial graduate who began teaching at the school in 1990. He taught 11th- and 12th-grade calculus and precalculus, ran the school's Channel 19 TV studio and multimedia programs for grades nine through 12, served as assistant football coach and, in 1994, as head football coach.

Beyond his academic achievements, however, Soroka will be fondly remembered for going out of his way to help others as well as for his compassion, unselfishness and zest for life, say many who knew him.

For the complete story, read Sunday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.