School mourns loss of longtime art teacher

Students and staff at a Fairfield high school were “shocked and saddened” by the news that a popular teacher — and longtime Davis resident — had died in a kayaking accident, the school’s interim principal said.

Joyce Ann Tusan-Dalton, 57, taught visual art at Vanden High School for 13 years.

“It’s been a tough day here at Vanden,” Interim Principal Allan Gordon said in a phone interview Tuesday from the school, where counselors were on hand to talk with grief-stricken students, faculty and staff. “This was just a terrible tragedy.”

Sacramento Metro Fire Department officials said Tusan-Dalton was in a two-person kayak that flipped over Sunday evening on the American River near the Watt Avenue bridge. A man who was in the kayak was swept down river and able to get to safety, but Tusan-Dalton became trapped under the swift-moving water.

It was about 20 minutes before rescue personnel were able to free Tusan-Dalton, who was transported to the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

She was pronounced dead shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the Sacramento County coroner’s office website. It also says the incident has been classified as an accident.

Members of the Vanden High School community were notified of Tusan-Dalton’s death during the latter part of the Labor Day weekend, according to Gordon, who recently took over as the school’s interim principal. An instructor at the school since 1998, Tusan-Dalton taught visual art as well as hands-on subjects such as ceramics and sculpting, he said.

“The kids loved her and really respected her,” Gordon said. “She’s just been a wonderful staff member.”

Gordon said school officials may hold a memorial service for Tusan-Dalton but are first waiting to hear about her family’s plans and wishes.

— Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8048. Follow her on Twitter @laurenkeene

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Posted by Lauren Keene on Sep 6 2011.
Last Login: Mon 21 May 2012 04:26:23 PM PDT
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