Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School

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OLSH Community Mourns the Loss of Former Teacher & Coach, Jack Mihaloew

The OLSH Community mourns the loss of former teacher Mr. John A. (Jack) Mihaloew, who passed away at the age of 91 on January 9, 2024. Known to his students and colleagues as Mr. M, Mihaloew taught physics and computer science courses at OLSH for 32 years, from 1982-2014. During that time, he served as moderator of a variety of clubs, including fencing and various science clubs. He coached boys soccer in the late 1980s. Mr. M was also the founder and director of the OLSH TV Studio, WCHR news. The studio was named “Studio M” in his honor after a major upgrade was made to its equipment and physical space in 2019.

Mr. Mihaloew was recognized with the OLSH Legacy Award in 2010, celebrating his dedication to advancing technology education at OLSH and for his example as a lifelong learner. In 2017, an endowed scholarship was established in his name, and is awarded annually to an OLSH junior who demonstrates creativity and “out of the box thinking”, and who has made a significant impact at OLSH and/or in the community.

In 2012, when he was commemorating his 9,000th day of teaching, Mr. M shared a poem entitled “Simply Assisting God” from Piet Heim’s Grooks, which he felt explained his vocation.

I am a humble artist
Moulding my earthly clod
Adding my labour to nature’s
Simply assisting God.
Not that my effort is needed;

Yet somehow, I understand,
My maker has willed it that I too should have
Unmoulded clay in my hand.

A full obituary is posted at https://www.corlessmatterfuneralhome.com/obituaries/john-mihaloew and outlines his career prior to his time at OLSH, where he served in the US Air Force, worked for NASA, taught at several other schools, and did curriculum design. He was also an active member of his parish, St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Ambridge.

Visitation will be Saturday, January 13 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm and Sunday, January 14 from 2:00-4:00 pm and 6:00 pm until the time of Parastas at 7:00 pm in the Corless-Matter Funeral Home & Cremation Services, LLC 1133 Church Street, Ambridge.

A funeral service will be held Monday, January 15 at 10:00 am at St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, 450 Glenwood Drive, Ambridge, PA 15003.

Interment will follow at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park where full military honors will be held.

Memorial contributions may be made in Jack’s name to the John A. Mihaloew Endowed Scholarship Fund at OLSH, 1504 Woodcrest Ave, Coraopolis, PA 15108, or St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, 450 Glenwood Dr, Ambridge, PA 15003.

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