As a teacher, there are sometimes students that you love big because you know they need you more. Four years ago, God brought Chris Holden, affectionately known as Wolfman, into my life. I was his teacher for three years, and he graduated in May 2019. By most standards, Wolfman had a challenging life. But, he was a happy kid that demonstrated much resilience. He was a huge movie buff, and in most every class discussion or conversation, he made some reference to a movie. He loved collecting movies, movie figurines and action figures and anything with the Punisher logo. He was funny and often provided one-liners and classroom comedic relief. In his mind, he was every girl’s dream and lacked no confidence in that department. Wolfman believed in loyalty. He had a gentle, sweet spirit until someone crossed him. At that point, he was willing to scrap no matter how big the source of his conflict. His softer side revealed a young man that liked to read and write creatively. He let you know that he appreciated you and the kindness you had shown him. One couldn’t help but love him.
I am going to dearly miss this young man. At the age of 20, he passed away unexpectedly on Thursday due to complications with heart surgery. I was asked to help set up a gofundme to assist with memorial and medical expenses. If you knew and loved Wolfman or just share that inner spirit that enjoys rooting for the underdog, I ask that you consider making a small contribution to help support this family and honor the memory of this precious young man.