Obituary: Todd Chowan, 49, immersed pupils in French

Students in Todd Chowan's classes at Normandale Elementary French Immersion School not only spoke the language, they sang it, too.

Chowan brought French alive through scores of snappy piano ditties he composed to help students learn French verbs and connect them to France's culture. His music spread beyond the classroom and brought a warmth to the halls of the Edina school where he taught first-, second- and fifth-graders for nearly 20 years, said Isabelle Punchard, who taught alongside Chowan for many years and is currently the school's interim principal.

"Todd was passionate about French culture and loved teaching," she said. "He created a lot of the signature songs we still sing at the school. He was a gifted musician. He connected with kids through music."

Current and retired Normandale teachers as well as faculty members from schools throughout the Edina School District recently created a tribute video for Chowan in which they sang the student favorite, "Le Rock des Dinosaures."

They put it on a CD and gave it to Chowan before he died Dec. 29 at age 49 from sarcoma, a form of cancer in which tumors develop in the muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels or other supporting tissue of the body.

Chowan was born in International Falls, Minn. He played piano in small ensembles as a student at Falls High School. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota to study music, but fell in love with the French language. He majored in French and education and went on to earn a master's degree in French from Middlebury College in Vermont, said his sister-in-law, Sheila Fitzgerald, of Richfield.

Chowan began his teaching career in the mid-1980s at Forest Lake High School. He went to Normandale in 1991 to help the Edina district launch its French immersion program. He taught there until 2010, when he moved to Edina High School to teach Advanced Placement French classes.

"You inspired me to want to learn, and you helped me develop a love for the French language," wrote Jillian Wothe on Chowan's CaringBridge site. "Your passion for teaching and for knowledge made your class a sanctuary within the insanity of everyday life. I'll never forget the innovative games you invented to help my class learn the various verb tenses."

Chowan is survived by two daughters, Caitlin Fitzchowan and Madeleine Fitzchowan, both of Eden Prairie; his ex-wife, Maureen Fitzgerald, of Edina; parents Don and Sally Chowan, and sister, Deb Chowan, all of International Falls; a brother Scott, of Acton, Mass., and his partner, Joel Lunde, of Eden Prairie.

Services will be at noon Saturday in Christ Presbyterian Church, 6901 Normandale Blvd., Edina. Visitation will be one hour before services in the church.