Just saw this now as I was trying to find Nick’s contact info to catch up.  Don’t wait to catch up with friends.  Nick was one of my closest friends in high school.  We matured  into adults together, dealt with family/ life situations leaning on each other, and let our different personalities help each other look at life in a different manner.  He was a deep thinking soul (vs I am not) and grew up at a young age.  I regret letting time get in the way of keeping in touch and wish Christine and his family well wishes.  I will add them and Nick into my prayers.  I and the world will truly miss him.

I'm a bit late (just found out), but I wanted to say something. I had Mr. Kirschman in high school at WG. He was one of the best. I remember his class vividly- and the lessons he taught. He made us think, not just in an academic sense, but about life and humanity. He taught us to question things- but never our self worth. He was interesting, and thoughtful and funny..... And very intelligent. His class was important and he made a difference. I still hold on to some projects from that class. They currently live in a box in my basement but I think I'll pull them out to look through tonight. He made a difference and he still does.

My freshman year of highschool at Webster, Kirschman wasn’t able to be there for the first bit of the semester due to some health issues. Despite having never met him, his classroom atmosphere and reputation with his students inspired me to bake a cake to celebrate his return. Students of his suggested this design - Kirschman never even tried the cake, but he was polite enough to pose for us anyway. The beginning of a wonderful friendship. 

Mr. Kirschman was my intro to psych teacher in high school at WGHS. As a psych major in college, let me tell you, he made it more interesting. He was passionate about teaching, his students, and making his subjects fun. He’s the reason I went on to study psychology and work in the field today. He inspired me and even though we haven’t spoken since I graduated, I talked about him and his class all the time. I thought about him often as he was one of my favorite teachers and one of the best.
 See you on the other side, Kirschman. You will be greatly missed. 

Nick was the sweetest young man I have had the pleasure to meet. The story behind the prom picture is probably the purest and sweetest.  I was the only person in high school that didn't get asked to prom, so Nick graciously accompanied Kathleen and myself to prom, thereby making him the most popular guy with two dates who didn't actually attend our school. Rest in Power, my friend, rest in power.

-Christine Dittmer

I am at a loss. Thank you for everything, you will be so greatly missed.

Kirschman was on of the most important teachers I had through out my years of education and I think directly shaped who I am and what I believe in today. I would spend a lot of time in his classroom either in his classes or sneaking in to them whenever I could. His classroom was one of the spaces where it felt like as a student you were never talked down to, and you truly belonged in the space. He used his classroom to give us as developing human beings a space where our thoughts and questions about the world were taken on with a level of consideration that made you feel like an emerging adult rather than an overgrown kid. I treasure the conversations I had with him, the friends and memories I made in his classroom, and will remember him with great fondness.

Kirschman was one of my favorite teachers at Webster Groves High. My friends and I made a habit of coming to hang in his classroom for lunch instead of going to the cafeteria. It was like our own private place away from the chaos of school. I have so many great memories in that room.

I wish I got to know him better, I always thought he was a super interesting guy.

There is a hole in our hearts due to the loss of our friend, Nicholas.
    A little over three years ago, Nicholas joined our morning  discussion group. He was a little hesitant at first, but soon joined in our jovial banter. He listened to our various perspectives and shared his own insightful and profound thoughts.  He was deeply missed when he was not in attendance. 
    His gentle soul is a loss for many. Our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Sincerely,
The Morning Discussion Group,

Mr. Kirschman was a one-of-a-kind person. I was fortunate enough to have him as a teacher for my gifted class when I was a freshman at WGHS, and to this day he is still the most memorable and amazing teacher I’ve ever had. Not only was he brilliant, passionate, knowledgeable, and wise, but he also showed his students endless care and compassion. I had a difficult time throughout high school and Mr. Kirschman always went out of his way to make sure I felt supported. He was an amazing educator and a wonderful human being and he will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his family and friends and all those who were lucky enough to be close to him. He was such a light. 

Christine Dittmer, Nicholas Kirschman, and Kathleen Carroll, stepping out. 

Petting the dog, waiting to head out for a night on the town.

I am saddened to learn of my dear old friend's illness and departure.  My deepest condolences to his wife and family, I know he will be deeply missed. 

Nick clearly left behind an amazing legacy, impacting countless lives through his demand to engage with you on a deep level.  The impact of a great teacher or mentor can be truly life-changing. 

In 1986, my family moved to St Louis, a few blocks over from Nick's family.  He was the first person who befriended me that summer, and we clicked.  He was an old soul, a renaissance man, a true university man, even then.

He and I ran around together throughout our high school years.  We each had our own great teachers who encouraged our independent thinking.  Nick was always interested in things outside mainstream conventions. I can’t begin to count the number of concerts we went to—Sting, INXS, PIL, Paul Simon. So many others.  Writing short stories and attending poetry readings, getting lost in libraries and parks, hunting for Frank Lloyd Wright houses, haunting the Loop, the CWE, the Venice Cafe, and that tattoo shop on South Jefferson where we got tattooed together in 1989.  We laughed endlessly.

Nick was resilient and fearless, righteous and brave.  He had some deeply challenging experiences in his senior year of high school, and he met them with courage and heart.  I know it gave him the empathy that I see reflected in the letters on this page.  
	
I loved Nick dearly then, and it makes me sad that we allowed ourselves to drift apart during college.  Stay cool, my old friend!  Let’s meet up again someday on the other side!

Dear Chris, 
 I am so deeply sorry for your loss.  May the amazing legacy he leaves behind be a balm on your grief, and your memories a light on your path forward. 



I was shocked to hear of Mr. Kirschman's death. Granted I was no longer close. It's been a good 20+ years since he was my teacher. I was one of Kirschman's students at Chaminade. There are a few teachers I count as pivotal to my growing up and he was one of them. 

He lead the clubs which shaped me most, WCCP/Film Club, Mock Trial, and showed me through them that I could be as creative as I wanted, could stretch out of my comfort zone and truly explore facets of life and myself if I wanted to. He started a film festival during his years at Chaminade, which grew into a decent St. Louis wide event. 

As a teacher he treated us all like adults, by giving us the chance to express our opinions, reason through them, but also to challenge and debate, and truly understand someone's argument. In the end we were all friends again. He challenged us, opened our minds to ideas and concepts most of us had yet to experience. He had us read challenging stories, passages, books, watch movies we wouldn't have chosen. 


As a study hall teacher he was the best, lax but ensuring we didn't disturb other classes. It was in his classroom we watched my copy of the Matrix on VHS, discussed its themes, and where I watched all of Kevin Smith's films up to that date (right before Dogma came out). I even sampled strange snacks from around the world as part of his extra credits for trying them gag. My friends also found their voices in his class. 

He was a truly amazing teacher, and I like to think my lot helped him hone his craft to later help so many more students grow. The world is much lesser now that you are no longer in it, Mr. Kirschman.

Kirschman was much more than just a teacher to me: he was a mentor. He didn't just teach us the things in the curriculum; he also taught us about the real world and inspired us to think for ourselves. I would be in his classroom every spare moment I had, before school, after school, lunch, my free period, (my other classes), and often found my knowledge of our world expanded when I entered his classroom. He wasn't afraid to challenge us and encouraged us to challenge him as well. I find myself often calling upon the things that I learned in his classroom, not just ideas like The Monty Hall Problem and Flatland, but also leadership, ethics, and global awareness. Words cannot express how much he will be missed, and my condolences for this loss. 

Mr. Kirschman was such a positive influence to me during High School. I would always look forward to his classes and eating lunch with him. He would heavily encourage my art and other interests, and took his time to help me out when I did struggle in class. His passion was felt  by everyone around him. 

High school was a very rough time for some of us, but you and your classes were always something to look forward too. You treated us like adults. You treated us with compassion. You provided new perspectives and still made us laugh.

Small things can mean more than any of us can expect.

Love and respect to you and your family. See you on the other side. 

Nicolas and I met in 1999 when he started teaching at WGHS.  We began the tradition of exchanging and framing our school yearbook photos.  We put the 8x 10 & 5x7 framed photos on our desks in clear view of the students and when they would ask about them we would say that we were boyfriend and girlfriend.  We were actually both dating other people and so when the kids would see us out with our real significant others they would be SHOCKED and come back and tell us that the other was cheating.  We LOVED this and would play into it.  We exchanged pictures and messed with the kids for the 16 years we worked together.  When I moved to Florida we continued this tradition and sent our school pictures to each other in the mail.  Tomorrow I will be setting up my classroom and will unbox close to 20 yearbook photos of you, Nicolas, and I will smile and choose one to put in a place of honor to watch over me as I teach.  I hope it will bring me your wisdom, sooooo much knowledge and wisdom, and if nothing else, I hope the kids ask me who you were, and I will tell them with a smile, "My WG Boyfriend."  I love you and miss you my friend.  I really do think of you every single day and will honor you as I continue to seek knowledge "just for knowledge's sake".

Nicholas, Andrew Houk, Me (Jenni Wilson Vanderwalker) & Lincoln Phillips on the Bosporus Strait in Turkey in 2008.

This was our first taxi/bus in Damascus it was a WILD RIDE!

I taught with Nicholas for over 15 years or more…he had a quiet intensity unmatched by any I’ve met. I was intimidated by him when I first started working with him, but grew to love him as a colleague and friend, and brother. He required my authentic thoughts and pushed me to consider different perspectives. He didn’t tolerate my sometimes glib cute answers…he pushed me to say what I mean and to mean what I say. He was a talented and passionate teacher and a fierce friend who will be missed.
I think Nicholas would not mind me sharing the last words he said to me, because I know he meant it for us all:
“I love you, too…”

Kirschman was one of my favorite teachers in high school, as he was for many of my classmates. There are so many things he taught me that I still carry with me today. I had a hard time attending school every day due to mental health struggles at the time but his classes and Philosophy Club were some of the reasons I showed up at all. He made us feel like our ideas and opinions really mattered to him. I feel that he was one of the few teachers I had who truly prepared me for higher education as well as life in general.

Our condolences to Christine and Nicholas's family.  What stands out most for me is how Nicholas's students adored him.  Over the years, I have heard several former students speak of him not only with deep fondness, but also with a sense of reverence.  The power of his impact on students - even many years later - is a testimony to Nicholas's love for his students and dedication to teaching.

Nicholas Kirschman is the best teacher I've ever had. A brilliant man and the greatest sponsor the Webster Groves Statesbots could ever ask for. He challenged students and made us think about why we believed what we believed. He was kind, caring, sarcastic, patient, and curious.  I have many fond memories of spending time with him, buying Poptarts which he brought for people who forgot breakfast, working on robotics, and having conversations that let me truly understand myself. He was without a doubt the greatest teacher I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Every student that came through his classroom, met him before school, or stayed with him after was changed for the better. Thank you Kirschman, for everything you did, all the time you sacrificed for ungrateful students like me.

Nicholas was a sharp and wise soul.  From racquetball to book clubs to walks at MU, I will always remember Nicholas as a truly one of a kind friend to all that coveted learning and growing.  

Freshman year not only started a new school but new school district coming from websters rivals (Kirkwood) made me an outcast when I walked into his class none of that mattered I was a friend immediately he took so much interest and empathy on anyone who came in didn't matter if they were students or not.  He was a great man among people he cared so much more about so many people and things than a lot of people I knew knowing he is gone but will never be forgotten will help that he will always be teaching people 

Our whole family is so sorry to hear of your loss. Please know that you are in our thoughts and the hearts of so many. It is clear that Mr. Kirschman's passion for teaching truly made a difference in countless lives, not only those of his students but the lives they have gone on to touch using what they learned from him in meaningful ways, both personal and professional. We  will forever be grateful for his influence on our children's educational experience and personal development. His brilliance was clear. His ability to engage and validate students was a game changer. 

Kirschman was a real one. He challenged you and helped bring your creativity to the surface. He listened to everyone. I felt fulfilled in his class, truly safe and nurtured by his kindness-- which was vast. I thank him for everything he did for so many. I will always remember him.

He was a brilliant and gifted teacher. My son enjoyed his classes with "Kirschman" and would hang out in his classroom whenever he got the chance. He will be missed.

Mr. Kirschman taught me as a freshman in the Gifted Program at Webster Groves, and if I had not had him as a teacher, I would have never made it through high school. The lectures we had in our Gifted Problem Solving class and Philosophy class helped me learn so much about the world, and the knowledge I gleaned eventually prompted me to explore sociology and communications in university. He was, and still is one of my favorite teachers I have ever had. Mr. Kirschman (a.k.a Kirschman for us students), was truly one of the most insightful and brilliant people I have ever met, and I will be forever thankful to  have known him. I offer my condolences to those who also knew and loved him. I will continue to be grateful for the wonderful influence he has had on the trajectory of my life. 

An amazing teacher and a truly good man. He was important and unfailingly generous to both of my children while they went through WGHS. I can’t begin to imagine all the good he inspired through the lives he touched. 

This is an incredible loss as a former student. Mr. Kirschman was a life-changing teacher. He is the reason I have the passion for history that I do even years after taking his class. He was there for every student and took the time to make sure their needs were being met, while still maintaining his sense of humor to provide a comfortable environment. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten. To his wife, family, and friends, I am so sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful man. <3

I am so sorry for your loss. I was a student of Mr. Kirschmann’s many times from 2006 until I graduated high school in 2010. Very few teachers got me wanting to attend classes or care for subject matter but he was one of them. I will always remember him as one of the smartest, coolest, most fascinating individuals that I will ever encounter. 

OBITUARY

Nicholas Kirschman

July 15, 1970 – July 27, 2023

Memorial Funeral Home, Crematory & Memorial Park Cemetery/Columbia

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