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Dafeldecker, 49, devoted principal

"Mr. D." had a long career in Hillsborough schools and was a committed soccer dad.

By MELANIE AVE
Published September 19, 2005

TAMPA - Mark Dafeldecker, a busy elementary school principal, vowed to attend every soccer match his daughter played in this year with the University of South Florida team - no matter how far away.

That promise took the principal of Odessa's Northwest Elementary School and a longtime youth soccer coach to Milwaukee, where USF was playing Marquette University on Friday.

While there, he suffered a massive stroke.

Mr. Dafeldecker, 49, checked himself into a hospital, said Hillsborough schools spokesman Stephen Hegarty, and died Saturday (Sept. 17, 2005) with his wife, Cannella Elementary principal Cheryl Dafeldecker, and daughter by his side.

News of his death shocked local educators. Several members of the Northwest staff gathered at the school Sunday.

"He's going to be missed in the school community," Hegarty said. "He's going to be missed in soccer circles. It's going to be a loss to a lot of people."

The school district's crisis team of psychologists and counselors will be available today to meet with grieving teachers and students.

Mr. Dafeldecker, known widely as "Mr. D," had a long career in Hillsborough. He began as a substitute teacher in 1983 and later taught at Northwest, where he was once named the school's teacher of the year.

He eventually became an assistant principal, and then principal, at Palm River Elementary School.

Mr. Dafeldecker had just begun his seventh year as principal of Northwest.

The school is known for its patriotism.

Students regularly write to soldiers and veterans. It has a freedom bell and "Patriotic Wednesday" celebrations, with inspirational music and plenty of red, white and blue attire.

Four years ago, Mr. Dafeldecker told a Times reporter writing about the unabashed patriotism at the school: "We want our students to realize the United States is the greatest country in the world. We want them to understand it's a privilege to grow up here."

Mr. Dafeldecker was a committed soccer dad, coaching various youth teams in the Tampa Bay area.

Daughter Erin is a junior at USF. In 2003, as a senior at Tampa Bay Technical High School, she was named a member of the Times All-County Girls Soccer Team.

Services are pending.

--Melanie Ave can be reached at 813 226-3400 or melanie@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 19, 2005, 01:08:18]