Garden Grove : School District Mourns Veteran Teacher’s Death

The Garden Grove Unified School District Wednesday mourned the death in a car accident of Grace Vanderpool, 60, a teacher in the district for the past 24 years.

Mrs. Vanderpool was fatally injured at 11:33 p.m. Tuesday in Long Beach when the car being driven by her daughter, Eva Vanderpool, 26, collided with another vehicle. Eva Vanderpool suffered minor injuries and was treated and released at Long Beach Community Hospital.

According to Long Beach Detective Hans Kohnlein, the driver of the other car, Milton Shenko, 70, of Bellflower, suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization. The officer said that Grace Vanderpool was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, but her daughter was.

Mrs. Vanderpool, who lived in Garden Grove, was a teacher of Spanish and journalism at Rancho Alamitos High School in Garden Grove. She had taught at that high school since the 1980-81 school year, said Alan Trudell, spokesman for the school district.

“Her death has caused shock to the high school and the school district,” said Trudell. “She had been with the district many years, and she had made many contributions to education.”

Funeral arrangements are pending, school officials said.