| Graduation Year | Class of 1987 |
| Date of Passing | Feb 20, 2014 |
| About | SWARTZ CREEK, MI – A Swartz Creek elementary teacher whose battle with cancer drew an outpouring of community support has died. Chris Carney, a teacher at Dieck Elementary, died Thursday, Feb. 20. He was diagnosed with cancer in December and had been in and out of the hospital undergoing radiation and chemo treatment. Swartz Creek Superintendent Jeff Hall said Carney will be greatly missed by the students and staff and his passing is a hard hit for the district, especially Dieck Elementary, where his wife, Christy teaches and his two young children attend. Hall said his thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Carney and his wife Christy have both been teachers at Dieck Elementary for about 15 years. Carney taught first grade for many of those years and this past year taught early fives and music. "Music has always been a part of his instruction. He had a great passion for music," Hall said. "He made learning fun for his students." Carney, the self-proclaimed "King Carney," was a favorite at the school and had a big, fun personality. It wasn't uncommon for him to wear costumes or break out his guitar and sing impromptu songs. Teacher and family friend Heather Holtz said Carney was taken back to the hospital earlier this month. Since he had gotten sick, the school and the community rallied around him, starting Facebook and Twitter pages, holding a spaghetti dinner fundraiser and his fellow teachers even donated 160 sick days to him. Carney is survived by his wife and two young children, Grace and Oscar. |
