Heather Simonetti, a teacher at Wheeling Middle School, helped to plant two trees Wednesday to honor Ritchie Elementary School teacher Heather Schultz and Wheeling Middle School band director Byron “Buddy” Filben, who both died during the current school year.

WHEELING — Wheeling Middle School teachers say every time they look out their classroom windows, they will continue to remember former colleagues Heather Schultz and Byron “Buddy” Filben.

On Wednesday, the teachers and members of the Filben and Schultz families gathered for an emotional ceremony outside the school to plant two redbud trees in honor of Schultz and Filben, who both passed away during the current school year.

Schultz, a teacher at nearby Ritchie Elementary School and a Wheeling Middle School parent, was 42 when she died Oct. 24 of breast cancer.

Filben, 56, was the band director and dean of students at Wheeling Middle School. He passed on Feb. 15 — less than a month before in-school instruction was canceled March 13 due to the coronavirus crisis.

Some of the teachers present Wednesday said they never really had the chance to grieve Filben’s loss before the abrupt adjournment of the school year.

About 18 people — properly spaced — came to watch the planting of the trees, which took place along Chapline Street across from the school building.

“We wanted to do something that would last,” said teacher Adrianne Manning. “It was (teacher) Jenny Craig’s idea. We were going to do something before the end of school, then everything happened.”

Craig, who also serves as president of the Ohio County Teachers Association, had arranged with the city of Wheeling and City Manager Robert Herron to obtain two of the 150 trees coming to the city through a recent grant from the West Virginia University Extension Office. Manning said teachers are a family, and most hadn’t seen each other except for during online staff meetings for more than a month.

“We’re a little clique,” she said. “These trees will be a constant reminder of our two friends…. We are very close-knit faculty, like many of the faculties locally are. We are very close. To do something for colleagues means so much to us, and to see each other again. It was a nice day for us.

“It’s just a nice thing to do. We can look out our windows and be reminded of them.”

The ceremony to plant the trees had been set for 1 p.m., but took place a half-hour early as clouds gathered and a light rain began to fall.

“It was just a wonderful way to keep their memory alive,” Craig said. “A part of our family will forever be missed.

“These trees are a way to remember them, and look outside and watch them grow.”

She said it was wonderful for the teachers to see each other again, “but stand apart.”

“In the midst of all that’s going on, having such a tough year and losing two members of our Wheeling Middle family, it was wonderful for us to see each other,” Craig said. “Seeing each other over Google calls just isn’t the same.”

Among those staying after the ceremony to speak with teachers was Bruce Schultz, the husband of Heather Schultz. He said it was a “wonderful honor” to have the tree planted for his wife.

“She would have been down here — especially for Buddy,” Schultz said. “Buddy meant a lot to us. … To have both of them here together means a lot.

“She is very well missed. I know that. I miss her. Her students miss her. Her family misses her,” he said.