Roger Vanderhye, a long time educator in Fairfax County and around the world, passed away on January 12, 2017 after a courageous struggle following heart surgery.

A teacher and principal for almost four decades, Roger’s career spanned the globe before beginning a very successful career in Fairfax County, Virginia where he most recently served as the principal at Walt Whitman Middle School. Roger was a strong supporter of public education, and his boundless enthusiasm and energy led him to establish school environments committed to working with staff, families, and students to make a difference for every child. He was also known as a “teacher’s principal” who led by example and was admired for his leadership ability and management skills. Roger lived life to its fullest, starting every day with a positive outlook and full of boundless and contagious energy. 

Roger was born in Flossmoor, Illinois on August 9, 1956. After graduating from Homewood Flossmoor High School in 1974, he attended the University of Idaho on a baseball scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1978. He went on to complete a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Virginia. He began his long and distinguished career in education as a middle school science teacher in Charlottesville, VA. He subsequently moved to Tanzania where he taught in the International School of Tanganyika in Dar es Salaam. He returned to the US and taught in Fort Collins, Colorado while taking post graduate courses in education. His first job as an elementary school principal was in Colorado.  

While working at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile, he met Cecilia Montoya who would become the love of his life. Roger and Cecilia were married on January 9, 1988 and, together embarked on a global adventure, working as educators in Greece, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium. In 1989 while living in Chile, son Nicolas was born. Two years later, while living in Greece, a second son, Alex, was welcomed into the family.  

While he was principal of the International School in Brussels, Fairfax County School Superintendent Dan Domenech recruited Roger for the Fairfax County School System. Roger became the principal of Spring Hill Elementary School where he served for the next twelve years. In 2015, he embarked on a new challenge as principal of Walt Whitman Middle School.

Besides the love of his life, Cecilia, principal at Belvedere Elementary School, Roger is survived by sons, Nicolas (Sarah) and Alex (Madison); brother Robert Vanderhye (Margaret) of McLean; Brother Ronald Vanderhye of San Diego, California; sister, Bonnie Minsky (Eugene) of Lake Forest, Illinois; and sister-in-law Donna Vanderhye of San Diego; and many loving nephews, nieces, other relatives and a very long list of faithful friends and admiring colleagues.

Roger savored life and loved the outdoors, travel and adventure, most recently visiting Scandinavia and hiking in Patagonia, Chile. He was a dedicated teacher and administrator, passionately committed to providing the best possible educational experience for all of his students. Above all else, Roger was a consummate family man, a truly amazing father and a loving husband.