Jean Kuczka biography: 13 things about St. Louis, Missouri teacher

Jean Kuczka was a teacher from Dittmer, Missouri, United States. Aside from Dittmer, she lived in other parts of Missouri including High Ridge and Saint Louis.

Before moving to Dittmer, Kuczka lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA and in Palatine, Illinois, USA. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. An avid bike rider, she participated in JDRF’s Ride to Cure every year to raise money to find a cure for juvenile diabetes.
2. She was 1 year older than her husband Stephen Michael “Steve” Kuczka. They have five children together.
3. From 1975 to 1979, she attended Lindbergh Senior High School in Sappington, Missouri. In high school, she excelled in the sport of field hockey and taught swimming lessons at the YMCA.
4. In 1983, she and Steve for married. In the same year, she gave birth to their first child Stephen “Steve” Kuczka Jr.
5. In 1985, she gave birth to Megan Kuczka.
6. In 1986, she graduated from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in education. In 2005, the university was renamed Missouri State University. After her graduation, she began teaching physical education at Seven Holy Founders in Affton, Missouri.
7. In 1992, she gave birth to Joseph “Joe” A. Kuczka. In 2003, he was diagnosed with diabetes.
8. In 1995, she gave birth to Abigail Kuczka.
9. In 2001, she gave birth to Isabelle Kuczka.
10. In 2002, she joined Saint Louis Public School District, the school district that operates public schools in St. Louis. She started teaching at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Middle School in Carr Lane, Missouri.
11. In 2008, she started teaching health, personal finance and physical education at Central VPA High School in St. Louis.
12. On December 9, 2020, her father-in-law Joseph H. Kuczka passed away.
13. On October 24, 2022, she was fatally shot inside Central VPA High School by Orlando D. Harris, 19, who was fatally by St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers. She died at the age of 61.