School is back in session, teachers are assigning homework, pencils are scribbling away, students are studying for exams, but something is not as it was.

A sense of loss fills the hallways of MHS. Something is missing—or rather, someone.

After a courageous battle with Stage Four Lymphoma Cancer, Math Department teacher Tom Cremeans passed away on Aug. 9 of this year.

When Cremeans became aware that he didn’t have much time left, he made a request to have a memorial at the school and for his letter addressed to the students of MHS to be read.

“Cancer has given me new eyes to see the world,” Cremeans’s closest friend Doug Burke read from what Cremeans had written in his last days. “I know you’re sad about me dying, but I will always live with the Be Happy Movement.”

See: Cremeans’ final words

The life of Cremeans was remembered and celebrated by family and friends, current and former students, and MHS staff members on Sunday, Sept. 18.

Beginning at 5 p.m., hundreds of people who felt true connection with Cremeans gathered in the MHS Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) to grieve for the loss of a one-of-a-kind man.

“My goal was to have a respectful service that [Cremeans] would be proud of,” said Michelle Kalhorn, a Math Department teacher and close friend of Cremeans, who, along with Burke, organized the event. “[I wanted to] give students who were close to him a chance to say goodbye.”
Cremeans began his teaching career at Clarenceville Middle School where he met Burke.

After three years of teaching, Cremeans transferred to Milford High School, dedicating 15 years to the Math Department.
Cremeans taught much more than how to construct an algebraic proof and find the area of a circle.

He showed students how to solve the equation of life. In this case, ‘x’ equals happiness.

“His spirit never failed,” senior Jazz Wasak said. “His smile never wavered.”

Throughout his 15 years at MHS, Cremeans took a break from geometry and algebra in favor of a more meaningful lecture.

He led “Future Fridays” or “Life Days,” in which he would show each of his classes a Powerpoint Presentation full of quotes, theories, and guidance.

These unique lectures inspired students to be happier individuals and live lives that they could be proud of.

Cremeans’s mission in life was to reach students and help them overcome inner battles, ultimately providing them with happiness.

“His primary goal was to persuade others that pessimism is merely a theory,” senior Matt Lashbrook said at the memorial service.

When Cremeans was diagnosed last fall, he became motivated to conduct a “Life Day” on a much larger scale.

On May 11, Cremeans delivered his “Be Happy” speech to an audience of hundreds of students and community members.

Piled into the CPA, people of all ages took the wise words of Cremeans to heart.

“He kept finding more motivation to give to [students],” math teacher Julie Mitchell said.

“Be Happy” was performed similarly to Cremeans’ in-class lectures, but it lasted 2 hours, including music and, of course, the teacher’s playful dance moves and lip syncing to Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

Shortly after, Cremeans followed up with a “Be Happy Part Two” speech in which he concluded his message to the Milford community.

“This stage made him so strong,” Mitchell said. “I know it made him happy.”

Cremeans loved music and often played it during class in hopes that it might lighten the sometimes monotonous subject that mathematics can be. Some of his favorite artists included Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffet, Jack Johnson, and Dave Mathews Band.

“[Cremeans] could use music as a tool to reach anybody,” Mitchell said. “He would want you to be the rock star of your life.”

In remembrance of an extraordinary man, Burke and Kalhorn decided to organize a memorial for students and staff.

In the common area, programs were offered to attendees, t-shirts with Cremeans’s custom “Be Happy” logo were sold for $5, and attendees were able to nominate Cremeans as Citizen of the Year.

Introduction and transitional periods were led by Burke. The ceremony featured words from Kira Coryell, Wasak, Lashbrook, Keely Burke, Mitchell, Doug Burke, and Tom’s father, Terrance Cremeans.

“To his family, Tom was a treasure,” Terrance Cremeans affirmed. “Not a day goes by that I don’t tear up.”
Terrance Cremeans provided students with advice and wisdom at the service, just as Cremeans would have liked to do. He spoke of how, when all else fails, people should be able to laugh at themselves.

“Let’s try to laugh at Tom and hope he joins in and laughs too,” Terrance Cremeans said.

Terrance mentioned that Tom was not perfect; in fact, he had many comical flaws.

Cremeans was not great at spelling and grammar and his students can all remember times in which he misspelled simple words on the board.
However, Cremeans was always able to laugh at his mistakes and shrug it off, making himself an example for those students who struggled to do the same.

A celebration of Cremeans could not be held without music.
For this reason, the Center Stage Choir and Choraleers performed a hymnal version of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and a somber but beautiful rendition of “If We Hold on Together.”

“I think the choir did a fantastic job,” Kalhorn said. “It really added to the service.”

Also, teacher Dan Dean performed an original song that he had written for Cremeans during his battle. Complemented by his acoustic guitar, Dean sang moving lyrics that Cremeans would be proud to hear.“Make the best of every moment of everyday,” Dean sang.

Cremeans believed that everyone had the potential to do something notable, and his hope for others was always aflame.

“Tom always made me feel like I was a part of something important,” Burke’s daughter, Keely Burke commented at the memorial. “Tom lived his life happily and to its fullest potential.”
Cremeans had a dream to reach as many kids as possible, taking the Be Happy Movement on a national scale in which he would go to different schools across the country and teach adolescents to become happier in their everyday lives.

“It’s not a dream-come-true,” Mitchell said. “That’s up to me and you.” Cremeans wished for those afflicted by him to pass on his message to others in need.

“I want you guys to teach each other about the Be Happy Movement,” Cremeans wrote.
Cremeans’ legacy will forever live on as his teachings and inspiration have impacted such a lofty amount of people.

“I hope that the people who knew him will try to live like he did,” Kalhorn said, “and through that, people who didn’t know him will be influenced by their behavior of being happy, kind, and nonjudgmental.”
Though Cremeans could not overcome his fight with cancer, he would forever push students, friends, and family to win the battle with unhappiness as well as any other conflicts they may come across.

“Your greatest gift to me was watching you become happy,” Cremeans wrote. “I am your greatest fan.”