Hundreds attend vigil for teacher at Surrey school
Posted October 13, 2018 9:55 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) – When Suhkmeet Singh Sachal heard the news that his former teacher had died in a car crash, he couldn’t believe it.
A week later, the vigil he organized for math teacher Suminder Singh drew hundreds of people to Tamanawis Secondary School in Surrey on Saturday afternoon.
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The former student says the event was “very beautiful,” and it was good for the community to be able to grieve together.
“At the beginning it was very emotional. Even people entering the gym … a lot of people were crying,” he says. But as the event went on, “tears turned into laughter.”
He says some of the speakers even started making jokes.
“I think it turned into a really positive atmosphere.”
Singh is being remembered as a role model, mentor and pillar of the community. Last weekend, tributes poured in for the 55-year-old, who was described as a mountain of a man full of humour and kindness.
And his former students are hoping to carry on his memory.
They’ve created a legacy fund, which has now raised more than $15,000. Sachal, who started the fund, said it will go toward creating scholarships for graduating students.
– With files from Denise Wong and Mike Lloyd
