I'm so bummed. I saw this way too late. 
Mike was my 1st boyfriend. I loved him so much.  He died way to early. Sidney or Albert, if you read this, please contact me. This is Patty Goggin Chisholm.  I am so upset to find this...   Love you both.
619 277 8363

Mr. Stringer was such an amazing human being! 
He was hard on me in AP art because I was incredibly detail oriented and a slow worker, but I would not be the artist or person I am today without him. He knew I needed way more time than most students to complete my projects, so he not only let me do art in his classroom to work for co-curricular, but also a few hours after school. Which means out of my ten hours a day at OLP,  at least 5 of them were spent in his company. 
In a lot of ways, he felt like a second dad. Tough, but fair and incredibly goofy and energetic. He would always give the best feedback to make a piece of art the absolute best it could be. I still gauge the art I make today by his criteria. Every piece of art I make will always have a little bit of Mr. Stringer in it! If I’m ever shading something in I can’t help but tell myself under my breath “push the values” how he would tell us like a broken record when our shadows weren’t dark enough. 
I will never forget  his love of animals and how he taught us about the “polar-grizzly” because he made a sculpture of one (naturally). He often brought his dog Maggie to school with him and you could tell she was really the apple of his eye. 
I also appreciated how accommodating he was and how he always wanted us students to be as comfortable as possible, with his habitual offerings of red vines and music for motivation. Once, when we were doing large, gestural sketch practice on an easel, he played some Led Zeppelin to energize us. Whenever I listen to them, I can’t NOT think about him and that moment! 
The Mr. Stringer moment I appreciate the most was when I got a 3 on the AP art exam as a senior. Even though I technically wasn’t his student anymore, he emailed me and told me that in his book, I scored much higher. His opinion was the only one that mattered to me anyway. 
God bless you and keep you Mr. Stringer! You will truly be missed. 


Mr stringer had a way of making you feel like you could draw or paint anything if you wanted to. “Paint what you see, not what you think you see ” he would say. In addition to “it’s okay to squint at your artwork, you won’t get wrinkles if you drink a lot of water”- something I remind myself of everyday to be sure I am drinking enough water.

He was always attentive and patient. He let us listen to Disney radio every single day, even when he really wanted to be playing the Eagles.

My favorite memory of Mr. Stringer was that he passed out licorice everyday. I don’t like licorice, so I always turned it away. It only took 3 or 4 class periods for him to ask “what kind of candy DO you like?” I told him I liked sour straws. The next class we had, Mr. Stringer passed out his licorice, as normal. Then, went back to his desk and came up to me with a big tub of sour straws.

When  I went to college one of the first classes I took was a public speaking class. The  first speech we had to write was about something that changed our life. So I wrote mine about my high school painting class, and favorite art teacher, Mr. stringer.

I had Mr. Stringer for homeroom my junior year at OLP, and that was enough to show me how amazing he was. I always loved his enthusiasm to get my day started. I had many friends in his art classes, and they learned so much and enjoyed every bit of those classes. May the perpetual light of the Lord shine upon him in eternal life. 

It was my pleasure to work with Mike for many years at the Academy of Our Lady of Peace.  He was a talented and dedicated teacher who was admired by both faculty and students.  He will be missed and  fondly remembered.
I express my sincere condolences to the family.  JoJean

I had the privilege of calling Mike a colleague for more than a decade at OLP.  To observe Mike as an art teacher was to watch someone who had found their passion.  To his students, he was always kind, thoughtful, and considerate, and yet, he also was the kind of teacher who would bring out the best in his students.  He would challenge them to discover "all of which they were capable" in the tradition of the CSJ sisters.  Mike always gave 100% to his work.  His dedication to his vocation will always be an inspiration to me.  
Mostly, I am so grateful to have called him a friend.  A true and gentle heart, Mike has blessed my life and the life of all who called him a colleague. Heaven has another angel, but he will be missed tremendously by all of us. 

Words cannot express how much Mr. Stringer impacted my life. He was my art teacher for four years and gave me all the skills I needed to get into the animation program at my university and become a professional artist. Though the skills are wonderful, Mr. Stringer taught me how to be compassionate, to be kind, and to understand what other's are going through. He always cared about his girls and could always tell when one of them was having a hard time. Though he was a strong critic of our art and pushed us to be the best, he gave me a space to breathe and be myself. I am so lucky to have worked with him not only in the classroom but also as one of his NAHS presidents and members. He was an incredibly compassionate man and loved every one of his students. Though he may not have had his own children, the students closest to Mr. Stringer had a special bond with him and to many of us he was a role model, a strong presence in our lives we could rely on even when times were tough and turbulent for us as growing girls. He was always there with a sour punch and a smile for everyone, even students he had never met before. He is the reason for so many blessings in my life and his teaching both on and off the page lives on through every girl he's taught. I am lucky and blessed to have known Mr. Stringer and to have been under his guidance for so long. He was incredibly talented at both his profession and being there for his students. The very last words I ever said to him were "thank you" to which he cheerfully yelled back "no, Thank YOU!" and I think that's all you need to know how much he loved his job and his students. 
Thank you , from the bottom of my heart, thank you,
 Mr. Stringer
- Gabatron, Gabasaurus Rex, Gabinator, Gaby

I taught at OLP for 20 years with Mike.   He was welcoming and friendly when I was new.  He was "the real thing" as far as teachers go.   His room was always full of students creating wonderful works of art and I loved his soundtrack of his youth (and mine).  One thing that impressed me the most was the Portrait Project he did.  He left a legacy at OLP both literally on the walls and in the hearts of his students, the faculty and staff.   
P.S.  I loved looking at all the photos that you, the family, posted.   May God bless you and comfort you in your time of grief.
Ilene 


Mike Stringer was the finest colleague and teacher, creating a space in his art room that was welcoming and relaxed.  How I loved dropping in there to catch up with him - great music playing, art all around.  He genuinely cared about his students, was a true and loyal friend, and an incredible artist! You made a difference in the lives of so many and you will be greatly missed.  Thank you for everything, Mike!

You make a living by what you get.  You make a life by what you give. (Winston Churchill)
 
Thanks Mike for giving so much to San Diego; to Balboa Park and the Christmas on the Prado/December Nights. Mike and his brother Albert created several backdrops for the manger scenes, a Seascape Mural on a downtown San Diego Parking Lot wall and a mural of the history of the Academy of Our Lady of Peace on the wall outside the school’s chapel. You have influenced art students who have graduated and become successful artists, even a former OLP student who is an Art Teacher at Saint Augustine High School. You brought joy to children throughout the world in the Memory Project; a project which gave your students a way to express their love of art by painting portraits of children who were suffering and living in exile. You joined Dr. Angie Gascho in the Butterfly Project which is memorialized on the Academy of Our Lady of Peace’ wall in the foyer of the Event Center. Students created dozens of ceramic butterflies which are attached to the wall. The butterflies represent the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust of WWII.
The San Diego St. Patrick’s Day parade was honored to have over 15 Parade Banners which were completed each year by his students. 
You are a legend Mike. My family will never forget your love. You always had my back and were there for me when I needed help.  Your Big Brother Chris


I was extremely blessed to have Mr. Stringer as my art teacher in high school. His classroom became a sanctuary for me on lunches where we would eat and work on projects. He is probably the most thoughtful teacher I've ever had, always concerned about his students and wanted to see each of us succeed in everything we did. I ended up pursuing art in college and he was always there to give me feedback or advice and I loved sharing my work with him. I always admired his undying positivity and lust for life and everything that came with it. Without a doubt I would not be the same person I am today without him and I know so many of his students would feel the same way. I will miss him greatly.

	Every time I visited Mike in his room, he was in the throes of creating art; there would be students finishing up work, asking questions, or just looking at the constantly changing displays of art around the room.  We used to have our department meetings in his room, and the biggest problem was always gently getting the kids out; so many kids considered that room their home where they could think and create and discuss.  I can’t calculate how many students had their lives changed by that “safe space,” but I know that Mike’s classes and influence had a positive impact on so many.  We’ll always miss you, Mike; the world is a little less colorful without you.

I was lucky enough to have Mr. Stringer as my homeroom teacher in sophomore year. He always found a way to make the class grin in the mornings. I remember him playing old records, songs from the Beatles during homeroom, bringing Maggie and his tortoises as it got closer to finals week. It was easy to tell that he really cared about his students. Having homeroom with him made the stressful days of high school so much better. 

OBITUARIO

Michael Robert Stringer

8 noviembre, 1960 – 19 mayo, 2021

Glen Abbey Memorial Park & Mortuary

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