CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A P.E. teacher at a Chesapeake middle school was killed Saturday morning after his motorcycle collided with a car.
According to the Virginia Beach Police Department, the collision happened just after 11:30 a.m. in Pungo. 41-year-old Dennis Whitby died at the scene.
He was a Virginia Beach resident, and a beloved P.E. teacher at Greenbrier Middle School in Chesapeake. Friends described Whitby as an always-positive and laid-back guy, who had a knack for making people feel loved, comforted and included.
"It didn't matter where you were, the experience that you had," said Matthew Small, a friend who also used to wrestle at Old Dominion University (ODU). "He had soul. He had soul."
"He made you feel special," said friend and former ODU wrestling teammate Joseph Wright.
Loved ones shared how they want people to remember Whitby.
"How kind he was all the time," said Tracy Branch, who used to coach wrestling with Whitby. "Even in those tense when we were competing, he always had a hug for the opponent and he always had a kind word for them."
"The fact that he could made you smile, just by him smiling," said Jason Bryant.
"He was a good friend," said former teammate and friend Christopher Buckner. "That's how much of an impact he put on my life, that I was able to look up to somebody who wasn't that much older than me and try to be like him."
Whitby loved the outdoors, adventures and had a passion for multiple sports. He was on the wrestling team at ODU about two decades ago.
At the time, Bryant announced matches at the university.
"He never looked at me differently because I wasn’t a Division 1 college athlete. I wasn’t part of the team, but he goes ‘You’re part of the program, you’re part of the team,’ he always said that," Bryant said.
Described as a humble man, Whitby coached wrestling at local schools.
"He was way more than just a coach," said Caleb Corbett, a friend and former high school athlete Whitby mentored. "He had a big brotherly charisma about him."
Whitby was also father, brother, son and husband.
His wife, Eileen, grieves not only this loss but the loss of their baby daughter and her own father within the past year.
"We're giving her all the love we possibly can," said Wright.
Loved ones organized a memorial fund online. At last check, it has garnered more than $30,000 in donations.
"If nothing else, help somebody, help another human who needs it in the worst of times," Wright added.
The funeral is planned for Monday, Feb. 21 in Virginia Beach. Additional details about time and location can be viewed here.
Moreover, the principal at Greenbrier Middle School sent parents and students a message Monday, extending condolences. He said grief counselors would be available for the next few school days. Guidance counselors and administrative can also assist.