Springfield teacher remembered as one who went above and beyond for students’ success
Lauren Engelke-Smith is largely remembered as a special education teacher and educator who always went the extra mile for her students.
The 46-year-old teacher died Monday after a battle with leukemia that was initially diagnosed in 2021.
Kris White commented on Engelke-Smith’s online obituary, sharing that her grandson JaTron Bevly, who has dyslexia, would not be where is today if his teacher had not pushed and encouraged him.
“Despite his struggles with learning, he will be graduating from college in a year and getting to play the sport he loves, football,” White wrote. “Some people told him he was too small to play college football. Lauren said ‘don’t listen to them. You can do it if you really try.’ Thank you, Lauren, for your belief in your students and everyone else.”
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Lauren Engelke-Smith, a teacher in Springfield, died after a battle with leukemia that was initially diagnosed in 2021.
Bevly also made the Dean’s list. He will be graduating from Lakeland University in Plymouth, Wisconsin, this year.
Bevly was paired with Engelke-Smith in a resource class from grades six through eight at Washington Middle School, White said.
For their first two years together, Bevly complained that his teacher was always assigning him too much work, but by the third year, Bevly wrote Engelke-Smith a letter thanking her, to which she cried tears of joy, White said.
White, a former public education teacher herself, emphasized that Engelke-Smith was interested in figuring out how each individual student learns. Engelke-Smith found solutions for Bevly such as utilizing books on tape for reading assignments, and in seeking smaller schools and smaller class sizes as he graduated to high school and college. She was part of the reason that White chose to place Bevly at Sacred Heart-Griffin, and why he chose the university that he did.
This story is no anomaly to Engelke-Smith’s family and the Lauren that they knew. She was simply a person who liked to help people, they said.
The family was grieving in anticipation of funeral services, but they sat around the kitchen table, sharing stories and laughing about the memories. They appreciated Engelke-Smith’s sense of humor.
She also held a passion for haunted houses and paranormal activities, and she was active with her church.
Her husband, Aaron Smith, lovingly remembered his wife’s blue eyes, which their daughter, Ebby, partly inherited.
Lauren Engelke-Smith, a teacher in Springfield, died after a battle with leukemia that was initially diagnosed in 2021.
The table was stacked with photographs, letters, and newspaper clippings, all helping to tell who Engelke-Smith was.
“She went to every one of his football games,” Smith said, referring to Bevly. He held a framed photograph of Bevly and Engelke-Smith at a football game and one at a graduation.
She also advocated for Individualized Education Plans for her students, the family said. She helped parents through that process, and she stood up for them if there was any issue with administration.
“She got in trouble with admin more than once,” Smith said. “She cared about the kids; she didn’t care about rules.”
Chelsey Ziebler, Principal at Jefferson Middle School, where Engelke-Smith most recently worked, wrote in an email that “Mrs. Smith was an extraordinary educator whose unwavering dedication to her special education students left a lasting impact on everyone she encountered. With a warm smile and an open heart, she created a nurturing environment where each child felt valued and understood. … She believed in their potential, celebrating every small victory with enthusiasm and encouragement, fostering their confidence both academically and socially. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she touched, inspiring her students to dream big and believe in themselves.”
Engelke-Smith taught special education for both Springfield and Ball-Chatham Schools among others over the last 17 years or so. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Illinois Springfield. She also was a vice principal at Beardstown. She is originally from Maryland, and moved to Springfield after having met Smith, who is from southern Illinois.
Services are being held this week. Memorial contributions are being accepted to: Lauren Engelke-Smith memorial for her children’s college fund.
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and other general news topics for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Springfield teacher dies after battle with leukemia
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