Guest Column: Tim Culbertson, Musician and Educator

Editor's Note: With the , principal of Newark's MacGregor Alternative Education Center, family and friends have begun sharing memories of the longtime educator. Here are some memories from Dick Ringness.

I enjoyed having Tim as a close friend for 25 years.  We met while we both lived in Stockton in the early '80s and he was teaching in nearby Tracy, and also writing and recording music in his home studio. 

Tim was a multi-talented person with a wonderful ability to analyze a situation and promptly develop action steps for a successful conclusion.

Tim used his analytical skills to prove the advantages of having music as a component in all levels of the education process.  He wrote a thesis on the academic success of students due to the amount of their involvement with music. 

Tim had a love and talent for helping students with discipline problems find acceptable ways to conduct themselves and gain self-confidence. The notes and comments of appreciation Tim received through the years from students and parents are a wonderful testimony to his gift as an educator, counselor, and friend.

Tim and I enjoyed discussing our similar childhoods that included the pros and cons of growing up attending fundamentalist Christian churches. 

Tim continued through the years to use his music as a ministry in various church congregations. He kept his  love for rock 'n' roll and other genres of music alive by performing and recording with a variety of professional musicians from Hollywood, Nashville, New Orleans and, of course, Monterey. 

As a lyricist, he wrote, and produced jingles for some of my clients, as well as many other businesses and products. Truly, Tim was a man with many gifts. I always enjoyed hearing how much he loved his daughters Chelsea and Kylie and what a special place he had in his heart for them and his stepchildren.

I lost a dear friend, a golfing buddy and a special part of my life. Tim made a difference in so many lives. I will always enjoy my memories of one great guy!