In memoriam: Milton Roth

The Blair community is mourning the loss of Milton Roth, who recently passed away unexpectedly. Roth, who taught calculus at Blair for over 40 years, brought time, effort and genuine love to work every day, and the suddenness of his loss has been felt by many. His friendly demeanor and unwavering positivity has had a deep effect on many students and staff members. As we mourn his loss, it is equally essential to honor and remember the dedication that he has shown to the entire community as a coworker, friend and mentor.

Memories from Math Colleagues

"Mickey was one of the kindest, most wonderful and loving math teachers in our department. I've worked with him for the 18 years that I've been at Blair. He was like a father and mentor to me. We will deeply miss him and we will never forget his many years teaching, learning, and loving! He was best known for his love of music (especially during his planning period). He loved to dance and looked forward to the music on Friday mornings. He liked to talk about [his son] Zach and his accomplishments. He was our math expert and we would go to him to ask questions and get clarification about math concepts. He loved to eat and would look forward to our department luncheons and would bring a treat from [his wife] Mimi. He would also tell us the most interesting stories during lunch and after school. He gave the BEST hugs and loved to give sound advice. He loved Montgomery Blair High School, its students, teachers, administrators and staff (past and present), and we will miss him!"
--Celita Davis, math resource teacher

"Memories of Mickey: listening to doo-bop on the radio, anecdotes and stories that he'd always tell, having our yearly outings with our boys to different places since they were seven and eleven months old, loving food and restaurants, and playing bridge on the computer. I have known and worked with Mickey Roth since 1988."
--Maria Costello, math teacher

"When Ellie, Jamie and I went to D.C. last Tuesday to observe award-winning math teacher Shira Fishman, she asked about Mickey. Apparently she was a Blair alum and had him. An undergraduate intern, George, who was also with us, got excited because apparently he was also a Blair alum who also had Mickey. Let's do the math: two people there had mickey, three more currently worked with him and one previously worked with him, so six out of the seven seemingly random people there had been touched by Mickey. 86 percent...48 years will leave that kind of impact."
--Ti Dinh, math department intern

"The world lost an amazing man. Mickey Roth, an adoring father, devoted husband, wonderful teacher, friend and mentor. I have had the privilege to teach beside Mickey for eight years. He was my mentor my first year at Blair and has continued to "mentor" me through life's challenges since then. Oh how I will miss dancing the twist with you in the hallway during the Friday morning music, the sweet kisses on my cheek and being called sweetheart, answering math questions and not making me feel terrible, and the kind spirit, smile and warm hugs. Thank you sir for modeling for me unconditional kindness. May your spirit live on in the many, many lives you have touched.
--Lisa Wheatley, math teacher

Memories from Students

"I really liked how he just made my day. At the beginning of the day, I'm really tired, and he brings in these really cheesy stories and then I'm happy. And on Saturdays I used to volunteer with George B. Thomas Learning School, and I didn't know this at first, but on Saturdays he also taught math help there, and he did it one on one. One time I just saw him sit there the entire three hours with just one student, helping her."
--Tuyet Nguyen, junior

"Mr. Roth was my favorite teacher. I remember one time where I came into his class and it wasn't even the class I had that period, but he always just has a smile on his face no matter what. I've never seen Mr. Roth upset, and even if he was upset, he'd just play it off. He's really going to be missed, because he's a family friend. My parents knew him really well, and so when I heard about him passing away, it was really hard on me. I'm mostly going to miss when he used to call me a smart cookie, or when he'd just sing his song, "Oh Mickey You're So Fine." That was my favorite. And I'll miss his stories."
--Amirat Oyolola, junior

"Every class he told these ridiculous stories about his life and you think that they are going somewhere and they didn't make any sense but it was hilarious and he was so excited about it."
--Monica Blanchard, Junior

If any students, staff or alum would like to honor Mr. Roth's memory by contributing their own memories, please submit them to editors.sco@gmail.com.