By Eileen M. Adams,Staff Writer

RUMFORD – He loved to laugh, he made learning fun, and he gave courage to those around him.

Nearly 300 friends, family, co-workers and students paid their final respects to Greg Waite, a SAD 43 teacher for more than two decades, at a service at St. Athanasius and St. John Catholic Church on Monday morning.

“He loved to do everything big. He was truly a great teacher, and he showed such bravery when illness took so much away from his life,” said his son, Patrick Waite. “And this community has given my father so much, the courage to say goodbye this morning.”

His smile, his sense of humor and the esteem in which he held his family were among the characteristics that made Waite a good man, said Denise Richard, a teacher at Rumford Elementary School, who taught alongside him for many years.

“He believed learning should be enjoyable, and he was a good sport. I changed my opinion about coaches. He loved his wife, Karen. No one was prettier than his wife, and no kids were smarter than his,” said Richard.

She said he kept his sense of humor and continued to tell jokes almost to the end.

“I considered Greg a brother,” she said.

The elegant church was hushed as Elaine Michaud, also one of Waite’s co-workers, sang and played the guitar to “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

“He brought me joy and made me laugh,” she said following the service.

Mark Belanger accompanied himself on the organ while singing “The Lord Is My Shepherd” and “Ave Maria.”

The Rev. Angelo Levasseur emphasized many of the characteristics Waite’s friends and family had lauded.

“He was a good father, husband and father to many students. He was a faithful man, who gave his all to a task, and faithfulness is one of the greatest things in life. Christ is holding him in his arms right now,” the priest said.

John Bernard, the athletic director for SAD 43, had known Waite since they were students at Mexico High School.

“He loved kids and dedicated his life to them. He was a very selfless person, who will be sadly missed by the entire community,” he said after the service.

Waite, 51, taught elementary school grades until recently, when he became a district math specialist. He also coached a variety of sports, was a national ski patrolman and sat on the board for the Greater Rumford Community Center. He was a Mexico native.

He died of a brain tumor on Thursday, Feb. 16, leaving his wife, Karen, son, Patrick, daughters, Alissa and Elaina, his parents and a sister.