November 4, 2004

A parent’s worst nightmare

Andrew and John Mark Teel memorial service scheduled for Saturday

By Jeanne C. Lewis
Staff Writer

On Oct. 25, 2004, Ron and Claire Teels’ lives changed forever. A tragic truck accident on Almaden Road in New Almaden claimed the lives of their two middle sons, John Mark and Andrew, just a few short minutes away from the family’s home.

When Ron Teel met Claire Poelle in 1971, he knew immediately that he was going to marry her. Five years later they wed. In 1981, they moved with their first son in tow to Claire’s family home in New Almaden. Their four boys were raised in the idyllic countryside in the house Claire’s father, Bill Poelle, had built. The boy’s widowed grandmother Jean Poelle lived with the family and helped raise the siblings “with old-fashioned values.”

“We miss them terribly. It’s hard to believe what happened,” the grieving father, Ron Teel said. “There’s so much about life that we don’t know. I don’t ask ‘why me,’ I ask why them. They’re free now—their bodies are gone but they can do anything or go anywhere. I had the pleasure of knowing them for about 20 years.”

The Teel family October, 2004 at a family wedding. From left, Claire, Andrew, 19, Matt, 27, Paul, 15, John Mark, 21, and Ron. Photos courtesy of the Teel family

It was a night like any other. John Mark drove his 1989 Ford Ranger to pick up his younger brother Andrew from DeAnza College in Cupertino. Maybe they talked about the new job John Mark started that day at Round Table Pizza or Andrew’s animation class or perhaps their cousin’s wedding the family attended recently.

Driving down rural Almaden Road as they had many times before, John Mark could have hit the uneven bulge in the two-lane road or maybe a deer darted across or perhaps the runoff of dirt from the hillside caused the truck to slide sideways, hitting a concrete driveway and flipping the truck over. The propulsion ended by a single pine tree.

The truck’s bed is all that remained intact. In a flickering second, the lives of two young men that had so much to offer, ended.

John Mark and Andrew loved living in tranquil New Almaden. The Quicksilver Park, animals and the wide-open countryside was their playground. A short drive to the city, but a million miles away in attitude, the boys grew up with the best of both worlds.

“I remember when they were little boys,” said New Almaden resident Peggy Melbourne of her memories of Andrew and John Mark. “They would walk down the hill to buy eggs from my chickens. They were quiet and shy until they got to know you then they were very friendly. I remember John Mark had big, beautiful eyes. I worked at Leland High School as a campus supervisor and they would chat and visit. They were studious and didn’t hang out. They were good kids.”

“As a staff we are shattered,” said Jean Delwiche, principal of Almaden Country School where their mother Claire Teel is the librarian. “Andrew and John both went here and Claire is a cornerstone of the school. It has touched everyone.”

“We gave them an old-fashioned upbringing,” said Ron Teel, a self-employed field service engineer, of his sons’ childhood. “We instilled in them the desire to help others. We didn’t try to squeeze them into a mold. I let them have as much freedom to pursue their own interests and supported them as much as possible. The last two years one person after another told me that I had the nicest kids.”

John Mark, 21, had recently completed two years at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, first studying mechanical engineering and then switching his major to philosophy. He shared an avid interest in rebuilding cars with his father. Ron Teel remembers one of the happiest moments in John Mark’s life was when they finished reconstructing a Volkswagen Rabbit, a project that took four years. He was looking forward to driving lessons at Laguna Seca. Always a good student, he was very athletic, enjoying skateboarding feats and bicycling. Later, he discovered surfing and a deep love of the ocean. He lived life with wit and charm, according to his father.

Andrew, 19, stood an imposing 6-foot-7, but had a gentle, friendly demeanor with an open, easy smile and a dry sense of humor. Throughout his life he had a love of literature, movies and storytelling, completing his first movie script in fifth grade. Creative, he pursued writing, drawing, and ceramics and was attending DeAnza College to study animation and film. Ron said that Andrew should be remembered for his interesting opinions and generous spirit.

“I can still see Andrew walking across the school yard,” Steve Hayden, Almaden Country School managing director remarked about his student. “He was tall but carried himself with gentleness and always smiling, very humble and approachable. Andrew was in my leadership class and was extremely intelligent. He was thoughtful and had informed opinions about things. He enjoyed politics and read beyond his years. I remember he gave long answers to short questions. He had so much to give. I believe he would have made a huge contribution to the world.

“Andrew was just coming into his own,” said Claire Teel. “It was so great to see him happy with his life now. I think of his glorious smile, wide and genuinely open.”

The last time the Teels’ talked to Andrew was at 10 p.m., the night of the accident. He called home to see when his brother, John Mark, would be arriving at DeAnza College to pick him up. They told him he would be there any moment. They never made it home.

“One of the neighbors stopped by after the accident and told me that lives would be saved because of this,” said Ron Teel, his voice wavering. “He said this will make the kids slow down. I told John Mark to be careful driving. I will miss them the rest of my life.”

John Mark and Andrew are also survived by their two brothers, Matthew and Paul; grandmothers Jean Poelle and Martha Teel; aunts Donna Wisener and Lisa Poelle, uncle Mark Poelle and cousins Patrick Medders, Travis and Tyler Poelle.

A memorial service will be held Saturday Nov. 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the LDS Church, 6625 Camden Avenue, between Fifewood Court and Mt. Forest Drive in Almaden Valley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Teel Family Fund, account #1502012, in care of Legacy Bank, 125 East Campbell Avenue, Campbell, Calif., 95008.