Three newspapers arrived every morning at Tom Zuhlke’s house. It was a ritual: Coffee and reading the day’s news was the 5 a.m. start to every morning.

Those who would get up early enough to join him were treated to a graduate-level discussion of current events at breakfast.

The yearning for knowledge was a significant force in Zuhlke’s life.

“He wanted to be the smartest person in the room, and he usually was,” his stepson Kyle VanLanduyt said.

Tom Zuhlke, 85, died Oct. 29, leaving many in the community to mourn his loss including his wife Mary Beth Zuhlke; children Sally Schaefer, Jim Zuhlke and Mark Zuhlke; stepchildren Kyle, Ravi VanLanduyt and JunJie Pan; sister Carol Jansen; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Education career

Born in Oshkosh, he moved to Kenosha as a teenager and graduated from Bradford High School.

During World War II, he served as a pharmacist’s mate in the Navy, where his nickname was “Zeke.”

After the war, he considered a career in medicine, but went into education, graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a bachelor’s degree in science and education, followed by a master’s degree in education administration from Northwestern University.

It was a choice that would bring the community a dedicated educator who knew the value of a creative teaching approach.

Zuhlke was a teacher, principal and administrator in the Kenosha Unified School District for 37 years. For nine years he was an adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the teacher education department.

Inspiring teachers

He had a way of expressing his ideas that inspired teachers.

Zuhlke wanted teachers to make a child’s learning experience “palatable.”

More than 30 years ago he wrote, “Teachers should not be afraid to try a little instructional creative cookery and stop relying on the often unappetizing and outdated recipe books disguised as teacher’s manuals. ... Students must be nourished with thinking, talking, writing and reading experiences instead of the hollow calories of worksheets, workbooks and flashcards.”

Zuhlke established the ground-breaking Child Conservation Center in 1970 in the Jefferson Annex building in Kenosha.

National model

The program he developed, “The Kenosha Model: Academic Improvement Through Language Experience,” was named a national model in 1979 and was adopted in 29 states.

“It was the beginning of looking at kids with learning disabilities,” his wife Marybeth said. “(He taught) how not to categorize them and look at their strengths, rather than weaknesses.”

“He often said, ‘It’s not, “Are you smart, but how are you smart?”’ He was just so ahead of his time,” she said.

He believed that interpersonal relationships, not technological ones, were key to teaching, making it possible for students from all backgrounds to benefit equally, Kyle said.

Honored in China

His education models reached out into the international community. In 1995, he was named honorary principal of South Ocean International Schools in Datong and Taiyuan, China.

He and Marybeth traveled to China for the honor, where Tom was given a Chinese name.

“The Chinese name they gave him was ‘Man of Wisdom,’” Marybeth said.

Artistic flair

Zuhlke had an artistic flair that was evident even in his doodles, which were intricate geometrical designs in the Op Art style.

He was a skilled craftsman who created more than 400 pieces of stunning stained glass art since 1990.

His interest in fine arts included music.

While still in the Navy, he taught himself to play trombone, so he could join some of his buddies in a band. He eventually learned to play the trumpet and tuba and continued the hobby for the rest of his life.

Every Christmas all the musicians in the family would gather in the Zuhlke basement for an impromptu concert.

For his 80th birthday, family members bought him his own tuba.