Tim Kratochvil, the superintendent of the Pawnee School District passed away on Saturday, September 23, 2023, leaving a void in the Pawnee neighborhood. Kratochvil, who was only 49 years old had a significant impact on the Pawnee School District’s pupils and personnel.
Kratochvil was a well-liked educator and community activist who devoted his life to helping the Pawnee people. After serving as a teacher and coach at a number of other schools, he began working for the Pawnee school district in 2011 as the high school principal.
In 2018, he was appointed superintendent, with responsibility for both the elementary and high schools. Know more about his death in this post.
Where Will Tim Kratochvil’s Obituary Services Held?
Kratochvil had been taken from his home by EMS on Saturday and shortly after arriving at Springfield Memorial Hospital, he was declared dead.
The 49-year-old former Pawnee superintendent Tim Kratochvil’s cause of death has been disclosed by Jim Allmon, the coroner for Sangamon County.
Last weekend, the district staged a candlelight vigil in Kratochvil’s honor, which demonstrated the extent of his influence on the neighborhood. You can see photos of the vigil in below post:
At 1:00 pm on Friday, September 29th, Pawnee CUSD #11 will let students go. Please be aware that students will have lunch before being dismissed. This early dismissal will give our learning community enough time to attend Superintendent Mr. Kratochvil’s services.
According to the school’s schedule, These are the arrangements:
- Visitation is on Friday, September 29 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 500 South Old Route 66, Mount Olive, Illinois 62069.
- On Saturday, September 30, visitation will take place before the service and burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. Service begins at Zion Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive, Illinois, at 500 South Old Route 66.
The service will be accessible to all, but those who attend must don masks and use social distancing techniques. For those who cannot come in person, the service will also be live-streamed on the Pawnee School District website.
The Tim Kratochvil Memorial Scholarship Fund will award scholarships to Pawnee High School graduates who pursue careers in education or sports. The family asks in lieu of flowers that contributions be made to the fund.
After his death tributes are pouring on social media. Unity Christian Lions Football posted, “Tim was a pillar of the community, a father and a positive force for the youth in the Pawnee community.”
David Kleimola wrote, “Please pray for his family, the students and staff of Pawnee Schools.”
Mike Reis posted, “Tim Kratochvil died suddenly this weekend at age 49. It’s just awful.”
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The principal of the school shared some details related to him and below you will read about it.
What did Chris Hennemann Say About Tim Kratochvil?
Chris Hennemann, principal of Pawnee Grade School, spoke about the legacy he left behind. Hennemann said:
“Things to get done, but it’s tough. Kratochvil was not only a colleague but a long-time friend. He’s just somebody that’s going to be greatly missed.”
Hennemann and Kratochvil have been friends for nearly 15 years. Hennemann continued:
“Tim was one of those people that had a big personality, he liked to joke around and liked to keep things light, I know some superintendents are a little bit removed from the grade school but a lot of the grade school kids knew him.”
They became friends on the baseball field. He stated:
“Tim and I coached against each other for high school baseball, We beat him sometimes and he wasn’t really happy about that, but we joked about that after he came to Pawnee.”
When they weren’t mentoring the sons of each other, they were working to improve the Pawnee School District. Before becoming the superintendent, Hennemann urged Kratochvil to submit an application for a position as a principal. He said:
“I think the district is really in good shape right now, because of what Tim has done through getting us through COVID and some of the tough issues that we’ve dealt with.”
Hennemann stated that Kratochvil always acted in the children’s best interests.
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