Laguna Beach community mourns El Morro Elementary principal Chris Duddy with candlelight vigil
A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday night for Chris Duddy, the principal of El Morro Elementary in Laguna Beach who died in his sleep the night before at the age of 57.
The Laguna Beach Unified School District announced Duddy’s death in a news release issued Wednesday morning.
“We have extremely sad and urgent news to share with our El Morro families,” Dist. Supt. Dr. Jason Viloria wrote in a letter to families. “We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved principal, Mr. Chris Duddy, passed away last night in his sleep. Mr. Duddy has been an incredible partner and leader in our El Morro family and Laguna Beach Unified School District. This is incredibly shocking news to share, and we are all working diligently to support our El Morro teachers, staff, and students. We also share our deepest sorrows and sympathy with Mr. Duddy’s wife, children, and family.”
Classes at El Morro ran under a minimum day schedule due to a planned Open House, but the event was canceled for the school following the news of the principal’s passing.
Duddy’s reach touched multiple generations of families in Laguna Beach, and that influence was reflected in an outpouring of tributes from the community on social media. Some remembered him in his prior roles for the district.
“Mr. Duddy was my assistant principal at Thurston,” Kendra Romans commented in a Facebook post reacting to Duddy’s death. “And [he was] my daughter’s principal this year while she is in [transitional kindergarten]. We just had a ‘student success’ meeting with him to discuss her needs. So saddened that he didn’t get to enjoy his upcoming retirement.”
During the vigil, held on Guyer Field at Laguna Beach High, a lineup of speakers addressed the assembled crowd, a list that included Viloria, Laguna Beach school board president Carol Normandin, El Morro teacher Cama Stevens, and the school’s current PTA president Julie Warnsdorfer.
“I want everybody to understand, the one thing this guy loved was to teach your kids to be kind, to be happy,” Stevens said of Duddy.
Duddy had held several administrative roles within the district over the past 24 years. He became an assistant principal at Thurston Middle School in 1998, and he served as the principal of the middle school in the three years that followed.
A 1988 graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Duddy had headed El Morro Elementary as principal for the past 18 years.
A parent-driven effort led to the vigil coming together in a matter of hours after the district’s announcement. Speakers at the remembrance ceremony said Open House was a night near and dear to Duddy’s heart.
Parents, students and staff members wrote their memories and messages down for Duddy on paper cut-outs shaped like hearts to be sent to the Duddy family.
Posters placed on the infield, where hundreds of well-wishers gathered to pay tribute to the principal, shared a legacy statement produced by Duddy in October 2017.
“I want to be remembered as a leader that made those around him better,” Duddy’s statement read. “Hopefully, I made them better by always being there for them, supporting them with what they needed to be successful, and creating an environment where educators and students could thrive. A leader that removed obstacles, connected and brought people together for the common purpose of student learning.
“I want to be remembered as a leader who made those around him better and never tired in my efforts to improve student learning experiences.”
Duddy understood the needs of those in his charge, according to 6-year-old Isabel Offield, who said the principal would read stories to students and play with them on the playground, demonstrating that he never outgrew the ability to connect with childhood.
Several of the speakers also recognized Duddy for his ability to remember every student’s name.
As many mourned Duddy’s death, children played nearby on the infield of Guyer Field.
Laguna Beach police officers and firefighters turned out for the vigil, which lasted about an hour and concluded with a rendition of the Rascal Flatts song “My Wish,” sung by the promoting fifth-grade class at El Morro.
“It’s very sad, and what’s amazing about this community is they come together in times of sadness, and they pull together,” Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said at the event. “Principal Duddy obviously left a lasting impact on a lot of people in this community, and he’s truly left an amazing legacy that is very apparent by the turnout in a very short time.”
According to district officials, crisis responders are being made available to assist members of the school community who may need assistance.
Chad Mabery, assistant superintendent of instructional services for the district, said the Orange County Department of Education also brought in counseling to aid those grieving.
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