Teacher, mentor, and Northfield’s Music, Speech, and Theatre Department Head, Tim Estberg, passed away Sunday, August 28. Estberg had been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer only weeks before his passing.
Estberg was a role-model for many students, through his work as a music and theatre teacher, Freshman advisor, and sponsor for “Lagniappe-Potpourri” and the Committed To Action (CTA) club. Estberg also taught chorus, and led the Theatre 1 drama classes.
Nina Lynn, the Media, Speech, and Theatre department chair at the Winnetka campus, said, “Mr. Estberg had a terrific smile… when I loved his smile most, however, was when he was in his classroom making music with his students.”
“We saw him reach out and try to connect with every possible student he could,” said Hilerre Kirsch, theater teacher and colleague of 20 years. “He loved his students. He loved New Trier.”
For many years, Estberg also carried his love for students into his Freshman advisory. Junior Marcus Chong, a former advisee of Estberg, said, “He really did care for you. My Freshman year I moved here from Australia, and he made that whole transition one-hundred times easier. He was extremely helpful.” Chong added, “He was just a very genuine person, and an advisor that we all loved.”
Estberg worked on the past three (including the current) “Lagniappe Potpourri” shows as the head sponsor. He facilitated the creation of the show each year, consulting with the students who created the show in acting and singing, among other areas of expertise.
“He was always highlighting people’s strengths,” said Kerri Simons, Estberg’s Lagniappe co-sponsor. “And in that way, I think he brought a lot of special talent to Lagniappe.”
Simons added that, “one lesson that he gave to students was that it’s okay to be the best at your thing and you need to let others shine, when it’s their time to shine.”
Estberg was also a sponsor of Committed To Action. CTA is a club devoted to learning about, and confronting, problems within the LGBTQ community, as well as providing a platform for students to speak their minds about issues they encounter.
Rachel Hess, co-sponsor of CTA said, “He was always willing to not only stand up for students, but also to educate others when it came to issue, related to the LGBTQ community. He was very passionate about sharing his knowledge with adults and also just impressing upon them the compassion that students of this community need.”
Estberg was particularly involved in the planning and execution of the school-wide Day of Silence, a day to reflect on the violence and oppression endured by members of the LGBTQ community, another project of CTA’s.
“We hope to continue the enthusiasm that we saw in him,” said Hess. “To continue to let kids know that there’s a place for them and there are people who will stick up for them.”