Legacy Project
Article by Archivist Br. Lawrence Stewart

April 1st

Brother Carl Joseph Shonk, C.S.C.

Carl was born in Lancaster, OH and attended elementary and high schools there. He joined the Holy Cross Brothers in 1953 and after his novitiate year, studied at the University of Notre Dame, earning his B.A. in 1957. He later earned his master's degree in English there in 1964. Carl's first assignment was to the missions in Bangladesh where he taught at St. Joseph's School in Dacca for 3 years. He returned to the U.S. in 1960 and served on the faculty of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, IN, for 5 years, then 4 years on the faculty at Hoban High School in Akron, OH. In 1969, he was assigned to Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, OH, and successively served as teacher, principal and headmaster for 5 years. He then assumed the position of director of the middle school for 4 more years. He took a sabbatical to study at the University of Dayton and then in 1979 began a long teaching career of 21 years at LaSalle-Immaculata High School in Miami, FL, for several years he was the English department chairman and also served as an adjunct professor of English at Barry College. Carl's administrative knowledge and expertise were often sought. He was an outstanding teacher of English and was publicly honored as such by his school in 2000. His out-going personality, his ever present sense of humor and his love of life and professional competence markedly added to the growth and development of his students. A lengthy battle with heart disease ended this popular teacher's life too soon.