re: For All Catholic High Grads: Greg Sollie Passed Away Tonight -Funeral Info Added

Sollie was my physics teacher 96-97. The most vivid memory is he and Caffarel having adjacent classrooms and taking turns dropping various objects one day. It was like a duel - they were seeing who could make the loudest noise. I belive this was his first year as a teacher at CHS. Before then, we knew him as a basketball ref. Sad news.

RIP, big guy

quote:

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To laugh often and love much;
to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children;
to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to give of one’s self;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.

---

Emerson

Hip Hip hooray!

Class of '08 here.

Great man will be missed. Since everyone else is sharing stories, I'll add one that I remember.


As everyone is aware he hated when students would fall asleep in his class. Well the year I had him, he had a trusty spiderman dodge ball that he would use to wake up students. He tried to miss the students just to scare them awake, but one time he drilled a student on the top of the head. After that Hanks wasn't having any of that and Sollie wasn't allowed any more dodge balls in his class.

Another time was after school one day. There were a couple of SJA students sitting in the courtyard. They go to walk out and walk directly through the grass in the middle of the courtyard. Sollie saw them and immediately yelled, "Get OFF the Grass!" I think one of them might have peed herself and I guarantee they never walked on the grass at Catholic again.

These are great stories. I finished before this man arrived, but reading these, they sound timeless. Stories similar to these were told by guys much older than me, experienced while I was at CHS, and obviously enjoyed by younger generations. We all have our favorites, and they speak to the fact that great teachers leave a permanent mark on their pupils. While tragic this man passed well before his time, how wonderful to think what a positive, lasting impression a person might leave behind.

Never had him as a teacher but he had to watch another class I was in for a couple minutes and I could tell the students that did have him as a teacher really respected him... may he rest in peace...

Didn't know McCarron passed away, I was horrible in that class, hoping somehow they could switch me back to Cannizaro... lol!!!

Really enjoyed reading the stories here and wanted to share some Sollie experiences too. I had the great pleasure of working with Greg (and Patty) at the Albemarle Habitat youth builds over the past 7 years, perhaps totaling 50 days or so of building. He was always one of the first to arrive at the build site and one of the last to leave, making sure everything was picked up and left in order. He was there every day and every shift.....every year. And based on the stories I have read, his teaching style and mannerisms weren't limited to the classroom.

I too enjoyed his sarcastic sense of humor, along with his witty teaching approach. He did a great job of keeping the CHS student volunteers duly employed, even to the extent of having them move huge piles of lumber from one point at the site to another, and then back again if the message wasn't clear enough.

I can attest to his apprehension about ladders by the way. But given his size, he often didn't need a ladder anyway, at least not like the rest of us vertically challenged people.

As many others have said, Greg's heart and his passion for life were bigger than his stature. It is hard to put into words how sad Greg's passing is, and the pain I feel right now, but I can say I am very thankful to have known and worked side-by-side with him. I will miss working with him every time I'm on future builds. I plan to say a short prayer for him and for Patty and the Sollie family at the start of every shift. And I'll do my best to carry on the lessons he shared with me. Rest in peace my friend.

Wow, this is tough news. Thoughts and prayers to his family. I did not have Mr. Sollie during my time at CHS, but he did sub for a few classes I had over my 4 years there. In my limited interaction with him, I could tell he loved his work and loved his students even more.

CHS, and the Baton Rouge community, truly lost a great in Mr. Sollie. Rest in peace, sir.

Slight, but appropriate, bump ; stumbled upon this gem - not sure if it was posted prior.

LINK

19:22 is where you want to FF to. RIP Big Man

'02 here

Dude was a character.