William "Will" Brent Rauckhorst

Will, 40, was born on September 10, 1984, in Painesville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. It was there that he developed his lifelong love of baseball, especially the Cleveland Indians, now the Guardians. When his family moved to Pittsburgh, he became a Pirates fan.

Will and his family moved to Hawaii in 1996 after his father Jerry joined Catholic Charities Hawaii as its CEO. Will attended Maryknoll Elementary and Mary Star of the Sea schools before moving on to Iolani School in 8th grade, where he would play varsity soccer. Following graduation and with a career in engineering in mind, he enrolled at Santa Clara University, earning a BS degree in mechanical engineering.

His first career steps included Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. and Booz Allen Hamilton.

In 2012, he also began spending 30 hours a week with the Epic Tutoring Center, working one-on-one with students preparing to take the math portion of the GED exam. It was there, along with a previous teaching job at Damien Memorial High School, that he discovered his true calling, teaching math.

That led him in the fall of 2012 to Maryknoll High School as a math teacher and STEM specialist, teaching subjects such as algebra, geometry and statistics. He also coached Maryknoll’s math team that competed in the Oahu Mathematics League.

In 2019, Will moved to Saint Louis High School, where he taught advanced algebra, precalculus and AP calculus. He also helped to coach the school’s math team.

As his academic credentials expanded, Will took on a new challenge, joining St. Andrew's School in 2021 as its only math teacher in grades 9-12, responsible for a wide range of math courses and student levels. He quickly gained the respect of his colleagues and was cherished not only by the students but also by their parents.

Dr. Ruth Fletcher, Head of School at St. Andrew’s Schools, praised Will as a colleague, educator and person: “Will was the kind of teacher every student hopes to have -- wise, kind and endlessly generous with his time and heart. Whether teaching math at any level, from middle school to AP calculus, or stepping up to chaperone school events, he gave his all without hesitation. Students loved him not only for how he taught, but for how deeply he cared. He was someone we could always count on -- a constant, steady presence in our community. We were truly blessed to have him with us, and we are heartbroken that he is gone.”

Despite living thousands of miles from his favorite ballparks, Will’s love of baseball grew during his almost three decades in Hawaii, beginning with the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and then the California Major League baseball teams. He and Jerry created what they called Baseball Junkets, trips to the West Coast and Midwest to attend Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Giants, Cubs and White Sox games. Their last Junket was a year ago when they journeyed to Arizona to attend four Spring Training games in three different MLB ballparks, including two with the Guardians. A typical day would be morning hikes, afternoon baseball, and pub dinners at night.

“Unbelievable memories,” Jerry says.

In addition to his parents, Jerry and Cheri, Will is survived by his brother Aaron, sister- in-law Dana, nephew Dason and niece Aleia.

Services will be Thursday, May 8, at Sacred Heart-Wilder Catholic Church, 1701 Wilder Ave., with 9-10 a.m. visitation, 10 a.m. funeral Mass, and a Celebration of Life to follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift to St. Andrew’s Schools or Maryknoll High School.