Ron Umbeck, a former teacher at Bishop
Ireton High School in Alexandria, died July 13 due to complications from a
fall. He began teaching math at Ireton in 1968 and retired in 2019, though he
continued to serve as the school’s It’s Academic coach and as a tutor at the
school’s math support center.
“He is now at peace in heaven and I
guarantee that he met St. Peter with a math book, a crossword puzzle, an It’s
Academic prep sheet and a Bishop Ireton pin,” said Head of School Kathleen
McNutt in an email to the Ireton community. “He loved this school, but more
importantly, he loved his students and his Bishop Ireton family.”
Umbeck was born Aug. 14, 1941. He grew
up in Missouri and graduated from the University of San Diego. His first
teaching job was at Roosevelt High School in Washington, where he worked for
three years. He began his tenure at Bishop Ireton in 1967. Umbeck was a
parishioner of Queen of Apostles Church in Alexandria and served as an
extraordinary minister of holy Communion there.
Stephen Crooker, an alumnus and current
faculty member of Ireton, said he was inspired by Umbeck’s teaching prowess. “Ron
was among the legendary Ireton teachers that formed and molded me into an
educator by his profound example,” he said. “Ron could write all day on the
chalkboard and never have less than a perfect straight set of lines. Much like
his career, (it was) amazing.”
“I wouldn’t be a math teacher without
Ron’s influence. He was beyond a shadow of a doubt the best math teacher I ever
had,” said Thomas Cogliano, an alumnus and current Ireton teacher. “He was a
man who possessed widespread knowledge, from ancient Greek to music. He was a
man with a most brilliant mathematical mind and a most gentle soul. He was so
dedicated to the mission of Catholic education.”
