Thomas Keating
Memoriam
A former Minnesota teacher of the year died in a two-car collision on his way to work in Monticello this morning.Thomas R. Keating, 58, of Foley, suffered fatal injuries in a crash while driving to the Turning Point alternative learning center in Monticello, said Monticello schools Superintendent Jim Johnson.
The Minnesota State Patrol has not released the name of the person killed, but word spread quickly around Monticello and Sherburne County that the accident victim was Keating. The superintendent said he spent most of the day meeting with faculty and students in Monticello’s various schools because Keating was well known and “loved” throughout the district.
“Monticello is growing, but we’re still a small community in many ways,” Johnson said. “We lost a great friend and great educator today. Tom inspired a lot of kids and a lot of people in the community.”
Keating was named 2004 teacher of the year by Education Minnesota, a professional association. He has worked at Turning Point in recent years, but has been involved with Monticello high school-level education and coaching for the past 20 years.
The state patrol said the crash occurred on Highway 25 at 37th St. S.E. in Palmer Township, about eight miles south of Foley, shortly after 6:30 a.m. The patrol is investigating the wreck.
A preliminary report indicates Keating’s car was southbound on Highway 25 and was struck broadside by a car that failed to stop for a stop sign.
A state patrol spokesman said the driver of the second car was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital, where she remains hospitalized.
Keating was also taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Keating was a multi-subject teacher for ninth through 12th grade. He is a former wrestling coach and was married to a Foley elementary school teacher. Johnson said the couple has four college-age children.
The teacher’s commitment to working with high-risk students was saluted by his fellow educators in 2004. And he turned tables on them during the program honoring his career.
“Here’s you homework assignment,” he told the educators. “When you leave here today, say ‘Hi’ to a kid who’s not your own.”
“Thomas Keating Memoriam.” Twin Cities Pioneer Press, 12 January 2012, www.twincities.com/obituaries/memoriam-thomas-keating/. Accessed 27 May 2024.