Longmont mourns 'special teacher'

Bill Scanlon and John C. Ensslin

Published April 3, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Photo by Photos By Linda Mcconnell / Special To The Rocky

At their home in Longmont, Bell Jansen comforts her daughter, Sarah, 13, a seventh-grade student at Heritage Middle School, where Lance Melting was a special-ed teacher.

Principal Ann Marie Sanchez stands in Lance Melting's classroom at Heritage Middle School on Wednesday. "He was just an inspiration," she said of Melting, who was killed Monday.

Melting was killed when his van collided with a truck.

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The death of teacher Lance Allen Melting in a 70-car pileup Monday on Interstate 70 has left a huge hole in the heart of the St. Vrain Valley School District.

Next week, when school resumes after spring break, students will be allowed to bring a rose or other mementos of their teacher to a special memorial area set aside at Heritage Middle School in Longmont.

Trauma counselors also will be on hand at four of the district's schools where Melting or his wife have taught.

"He was just an inspiration," said Heritage Principal Anne Marie Sanchez. "He's compassionate. He's caring. He was dedicated. He was just a special man - a totally special man and teacher."

Plans for a memorial service are still pending. "I'm sure we'll plan a memorial," Sanchez said. "But we'll wait until his wife is well enough to give us some information on what she wants."

Jamie Melting also was injured in the crash. She remains in serious condition at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver, a spokeswoman said. Jamie Melting teaches fourth grade at Rocky Mountain Elementary School.

All four Melting children attend St. Vrain schools, two in middle school and two in elementary. The children were not injured in the crash and are being cared for by relatives.

Lance Melting, 39, a special-education teacher and kung fu instructor, died when his minivan slid into a semi at the front of the pileup west of Frisco.

The Meltings and their children were on their way to Disneyland for spring break. They had waited until Monday to leave because one son had been in a baseball tournament.

Lance Melting started with the St. Vrain district in 1994. He previously taught at Rocky Mountain Elementary and Longs Peak Middle School before moving to Heritage four years ago.

A district spokesman said Melting made a difference wherever he taught.

"This guy, especially for special-ed students, it was like having a heavyweight champion in your corner," said spokesman John Poynton.

The mother of one of his students described his loss as "catastrophic."

"I've never seen anyone who could reach such a wide range of children in need," said Bell Jansen, of Longmont, whose 13-year-old daughter was a student in Melting's class. She and her daughter found out about his death on Monday when several teachers and other parents called to let them know.

At first, her daughter seemed to go into shock. But then she sat down at her computer and started writing, which was one of the coping skills that Melting had taught her.

"Which is a pretty good tribute to a man who spent his life teaching coping skills," Jansen said. "He could make them stick."

Sarah Jansen said the writing helped her cope with the loss.

"He would help me when I was stuck on something with homework or when I was having trouble with other students," she said. "He was a very wonderful man. It's such a horrible loss."

scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2897

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