Birth date: Mar 6, 1983 Death date: Jun 22, 2026
Timothy “Timm” Patrick Fijalkovich Our dearest Timm left this world to live among the stars on June 22nd, 2026 after a long and courageous battle against brain cancer. Timm was born in Cleveland, OH, on March 6th, 1983. He grew u Read Obituary
I'm going to miss Timm so much. I had the pleasure of working with for a number of years at the JVS. He was truly a great teacher and friend. I will miss drinking cups of good coffee and watching soccer together. I remember checking my mail at work and finding a bag of roasted coffee beans in the box and instantly my day was better.
The world was a better place with Timm in it. He was a fellow educator at Lorain County JVS and always kind and actually acted interested when we had a conversation. I always enjoyed seeing him in the teacher's lounge and I miss him. I once saw him on the Oberlin trail after I had retired and we had a joyful conversation. It sounds like he had a meaningful life and my heart goes out to his family for such a loss.
Blessings,
Holly Sofia
Timm was definitely one of the good guys! I’ll miss his smile and his laugh. He taught me about patriarchy and how to be a better feminist. I loved his jokes and his willingness to work to make our school a better place. Whenever I joked about how young he was or how old I was, he’d always say, “I’m not that much younger than you.” (Yes he was…lol) I’ve had the pleasure of working with many wonderful people over the years, but he was most assuredly top tier. My most sincere condolences to his whole family and all his friends.
Sandy
I truly don’t believe that Timm never knew a stranger. He was instant friends with everyone he met. He had this genuine way of making you feel included and special. Even if you were brand new to the group. I used to think of him as walking sunshine. He always had the biggest most genuine smile. Whether we were hanging out on the deck after giving him haircut, trips to cedar point where he always rode Power tower with me when no one else wanted to. He would look at me with that big goofy smile and say “Alright, c’mon El-Dizzle, let’s go”. He said those same words to me the day he decided it would be a good idea to sneak In a joy ride in his Dad’s corvette when his dad wasn’t home. I remember asking “are you sure this is Ok? And his reply being “I dunno!” Followed by the aforementioned big smile. He gave me my nickname (El-dizzle) and got a basement full of grown men playing video games to shout it at me as I came down the stars to crash another guys night. People say that you may not remember the things a person says, but you will remember how they made you feel. I don’t remember every conversation on the deck or during game nights, parties, or cedar point trips. But I do remember always feeling safe and welcome. I was always treated like a little sister and I will cherish that for the rest of my days. It was an honor to be a small part of Timm’s amazing life, and I will miss him with all my heart.
Timm was the friend that made you feel cool for knowing him. Our connection grew from me being his friend's little sister to a real friendship of our own while we were both studying at KSU. Timm had a way with people and formed quick, but strong bonds. His intelligence, charm, and quick wit could keep you entertained for hours. We shared a love of good music and movies. Whenever I hear a 'Timm' song on the radio, I think of him. Shout out to that time we were both traveling in Iceland and made a point to meet up. 💜
Timm was always such a beacon of joy and enthusiasm at Garinger. I remember how his humor and wit helped to brighten my rougher days as a first-year teacher. He brought fun and laughs to the very early mornings and the tedious tasks of endless printing and copying. His passion for his work and his students was an inspiration. I will always think of my time working with him fondly.
Timm was one of the first teachers that I had a hand in hiring at LCJVS early in my admin career there. From that first interview it was clear that he embodied all the characteristics of a good teacher. He went on to prove day in and day out that he wasn’t just good. He was one of the great ones—and he did it with such ease. It’s hard to get high schoolers to be into math, but Timm took such pride in planning and delivering experiences for students that were meaningful and applicable to their interests while keeping the bar very high with the content and standards. He knew they could rise to the occasion and wasn’t afraid to tell them as much. Between his intelligence, wit, sarcasm, kind nature, and a broad range of adventures and life experiences, students responded so well to him. His classroom was an experience in itself! I, too, fondly recall the “Math Madness” collaboration with Tim Glahn. Kahoot was taking off and the two of them teamed up to combine their classes into a huge game of Kahoot live. They went as far as reaching out to Kahoot and the company sent them tshirts and other promotional items. I just remember hearing the group in the IVDL lab and walking in to find Fiji and Glahn in their matching Kahoot tshirts. The kids might have thought they were nuts, but everyone was doing math! It was a privilege to supervise Timm and that math department for a few years.
Aside from his career as a teacher, Timm was simply an amazing person. He was smart, funny, kind, considerate, and wise beyond his years. He was unapologetically himself and cared deeply for his students colleagues, friends, and family. The last time I saw Timm in person was at, of all places, a cross country meet at LCCC. He was in the midst of his treatment but had come out with Glahn and Livingston on a Saturday morning to watch kids run. Despite the treatment, he was the same guy with the same wit and humor. It is heartbreaking to know he is no longer physically with us. I am a better person for have known and worked with Timm. I send my deepest condolences to Timm’s family and friends and all of my former LCJVS colleagues.
Sincerely,
Courtney Griffiths
When I think of Timm, it’s not one favorite memory that comes to mind. Instead, it’s the accumulation of countless everyday encounters that revealed how he did even the smallest things with great love.
In every moment, Timm had a remarkable way of being genuine, humble, and fully present. Whether sharing a smile or a sarcastic comment, he treated people with respect and brought warmth and humor to ordinary moments. Those qualities made him not only a wonderful coworker and friend, but also a person whose presence made life better for those around him.
Timm had hair long enough to rock a man bun when I first met him, which he generously donated with the help of his students. I’m grateful for all the little moments and will fondly remember a visit last summer when Timm taught me Crokinole and showed me his collection of games and other treasures. Timm was truly kind to everyone, and I am blessed to have known him.
He reminds us that a meaningful life is often built through simple acts of kindness, repeated day by day. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
Timm and I both started teaching math at JVS the same year. He went from being a colleague to a wonderful friend and neighbor. He had an amazing sense of humor as well! My oldest called him “Uncle Fiji” and we would love to run into him on our walks on our street. This picture is from January 2025; Timm showed Joey his drone and let him “help” land it. Our family will miss Timm so much!
