The Forum received news that Mr. Daniels passed away in the early morning hours of March 6, information regarding any memorial service will be made available when known. 

There are few individuals that have a greater impact on one’s life, besides family and friends, more than teachers do. Growing up we spend a great amount of time with those who have chosen the profession of trying to get us to learn.

Along with that task they put up with whatever good and bad experiences a child brings with them and sometimes those experiences can make teaching and learning difficult. But along the road of education there are teachers that just seem to connect with students and ultimately see a way to make an indifferent student learn or see that what another student needs is to be challenged and another may just need words of encouragement, that maybe they don’t get at home.

Probably one of the most admired and loved teachers in the history of Forks High School would have to be Mike Daniels. He started teaching at Quillayute Valley School District in 1967.   

A few years ago when the word went out that Mr. D was facing some health issues the words of former students who sent well wishes spoke volumes of the impact he had on so many.

One former student called him a great teacher and a friend recalling he had kicked her out of class for doing something everyone else was doing. When she asked him why he singled her out he explained she was a leader and needed to make better choices and his words made her straighten up.

Another former student had a learning disability that made him a slower learner than the rest of the class but he was good at drawing, so Mr. Daniels got him an after school job drawing maps.

Many admit to using “Mr. Daniels” as their security question on their computer for the question “Who is your favorite teacher?”

When another former student runs into her former teacher when she visits Forks she said “We’ll sit and chat for a while and I always walk away from it having a renewed sense of thankfulness for having had this man in my life for so many years. Without his constant belief in me, I would not be the person I am today.”

In addition to teaching us social studies, history and health, he taught hundreds of us to drive, that right there should have sent him over the edge, but it didn’t.

About a year ago the word went out that because of his health a special chair was needed, so former students from all over sent money to buy his new chair.

Last week Mr. D had a stroke, after a week at the Forks Community Hospital he was moved Monday to a rehab facility in Bellingham where he will receive treatment in hopes he can return home again.

Get well soon Mr. D.