BETHALTO - A beloved teacher at Trimpe Middle School in Bethalto has died.
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Marissa Banovz was a sixth and seventh grade math teacher at Trimpe, where students and faculty alike knew her as a kind, smart and dedicated individual. Banovz died on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, following a battle with metastatic breast cancer.
“When she was sick in the hospital, she was making videos for her students on how to figure out test corrections or how to do a problem. She was still working,” remembered Laura Gipson, principal of Trimpe Middle School. “She was such a fighter, always had a positive attitude, no matter what. On days she wasn’t feeling well, you would have never known.”
Banovz became a math teacher and technology coach at Trimpe in 2001. She was quickly deemed the “go-to person” for any questions about technology or scheduling.
Gipson explained that the middle school’s schedule can be “very tricky,” and Banovz would frequently solve a problem in minutes when other people had been working on it for hours. Even this past summer, while not feeling well, Banovz came into the school to help find a solution for a scheduling conflict “out of the kindness of her heart.”
“She was incredibly smart,” Gipson explained. “Her brain was just incredible, how it worked. She had such a positive attitude as she was fighting through all of this and was just so courageous. She came in not feeling well on most days, but you would never know. She just really enjoyed teaching and being with her students and being with her colleagues, and that is what truly brought her joy, was teaching.”
Outside of the classroom, Banovz was an “amazing” mother and wife. She leaves behind two children, a senior at Civic Memorial High School and an eighth grader at Trimpe. She could often be found at their sporting events and concerts, ever-present to support her children and cheer them on.
Gipson said Trimpe Middle School students were “hanging in there” but “definitely saddened” by the news of Banovz’s passing. The school had extra counselors on hand for students and staff, and some students did utilize this support.
Superintendent Dr. Jill Griffin sent out an email to families informing them of Banovz’s passing and encouraging them to seek support if needed. She recognized Banovz as a “dedicated professional” who left behind a powerful legacy.
“She was here last Wednesday because she desperately did not want to give in to her disease and found solace and peace in serving her students,” Griffin wrote. “As we are all heartbroken by her passing, we must be inspired by the way Marissa lived her life with passion and dedication to her profession and a wonderful mother to Justin and Brooke. Marissa was a champion for kids and for that she will leave a lasting legacy.”
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