Superintendent Wong: 'It's Hard to Make Sense of What Suddenly Happened'

Jane Young, a longtime math teacher at Lincoln-Sudbury High School and Sudbury resident, had just retired in January.

Settling into her retirement, she and her husband, Kenneth, headed to their vacation home in the Virgin Islands with son Mikhail.

Mikhail Young now faces charges of stabbing his parents to death while on vacation, and students and faculty who knew Jane are grappling to handle the news.

“The L-­‐S School Community is shocked and saddened to learn about the deaths of our colleague and friend, Jane Young and her husband, Ken,” said Superintendent of Schools Bella Wong in a statement. Students and faculty showed their appreciation and grief by hanging signs in the windows of the school on Wednesday. 

Jane was a lifetime educator and math teacher in several school districts and served at L-­‐S from 1997 until her recent retirement in January 2015, added Young.

“She faithfully served our school community in and out of the classroom with special attention to struggling students. She taught AP Statistics and many other math classes during her career at L-­‐S.”

Jane lived in Sudbury for many years, and was remembered for attending her students’ school plays and games. She is also well remembered for her love of gardening, and maintained the gar dents on school property.

“She was a kind and generous soul and will be sorely missed by staff and students alike,” said Wong. “The L-­‐S Community has come together to support one another and students during this difficult period and we appreciate the outpouring of condolences and offers of support made to our school.”

The following is a statement issued by Superintendent Bella Wong to the school community:

I want to take this moment to acknowledge and honor the passing of Jane Young.

As a teacher, colleague, or friend, Jane will by far be remembered for how she saw the glass half full and without a fault gave the benefit of the doubt to others. She was a kind and generous soul who will be sorely missed by staff and students alike.

It is hard to make sense of what has suddenly happened to one who filled our lives with such genuine enthusiasm for one’s possibilities and boundless spirit. She was a very special person. There is no right way to grieve such a loss. Some find comfort in a normal routine. Some find comfort by being busy. And some find comfort by just being still. We want to be able to support you in the way that works for you.

We will be maintaining a regular school day with classes as scheduled but will also offer extra support in the Career Center A302 or House Offices through today and in the House Offices through rest of week for any student who may need it. I want to thank all staff for stepping in to cover classes for colleagues, providing a shoulder to lean on and /or ear to listen.

I especially thank the counselors for working so hard to anticipate what each of us may need at this time. Sometimes even better than what we know ourselves. Let’s share a moment to reflect on the goodness of Jane Young. Bella Wong

More updates for the day:

• We are fielding many requests and inquiries about what can be done to create a long-­‐term memorial for Jane and Ken Young.

• Many students arrived to school today wearing floral prints as a tribute to the memory of Jane Young. Mrs. Young was an avid gardener. One example is the garden by the front school signage.

• Counseling services are being offered through the school day for staff or students, as needed. Special outreach has been made to former students of Jane Young

Related Articles:

• Sudbury Couple Vacationing in Virgin Islands Found Stabbed to Death: The couple’s son was arrested and charged with murdering his parents.
• Sudbury Man Held Without Bail, Arraigned in Murder of His Parents: The Sudbury man is accused of killing his parents while they vacationed in the Caribbean.

Photo via Boston Globe/Twitter