‘Very Caring Teacher’ At Blake Dies

At Blake Elementary School next fall, a shelf in the library will hold some of the books treasured by Carol Filippini.

That is Marcy Thimsen’s way of sharing her memories of her friend and fellow teacher.

Carol Filippini died last week of cancer. She taught for 21 years in Central Valley elementary schools. Most recently, she taught first and second grade at Blake.

“She was really into books and literature, and getting the kids to write,” said Thimsen, a kindergarten teacher at Blake. “She had all these wonderful books at home. I used to go down there and borrow them any time.”

Rather than accept the books herself as a personal gift from Carol’s family, Thimsen hopes to see a commemorative plaque on a shelf where students and teachers alike can find Carol’s books.

Steve Filippini, who teaches band and English at East Valley Middle School, said the community was generous in the extreme, helping the family during his wife’s last months.

“I don’t think I cooked a meal from September on, until perhaps last week,” Steve said. Friends and colleagues from both their schools, and friends from Spokane Valley United Methodist Church set up a schedule to supply the Filippinis and their two daughters with food.

Steve Filippini, Thimsen and another friend and teacher, Annette Lamon, all described Carol as a deeply committed teacher.

“She was a very caring teacher,” said Lamon, who teaches sixth grade at Blake. The two became friends early on during their 16 years of working together.

“There were times when she would get frustrated with a problem. She would come into the staff room and muse out loud about the situation,” Lamon said. “And all of a sudden, a solution would come to her. She would turn on her heels and head right back to her classroom at a high-energy trot, and put herself full bore into whatever solution she had found.”

What did teaching mean to her? “Compassion. That’s the biggest word,” Steve Filippini said. “She loved working with kids.”

A musician and music teacher, Carol Filippini also was a devoted recycler. “She got that from her grandmother,” her husband said.

“She was everything, a great mom, a great wife, a fabulous teacher, a wonderful musician.”