Lansing - Helpful, passionate and committed are words the colleagues of Carolyn Kronenberg used to describe the Lansing Community College professor before her funeral and memorial services on Monday.
Kronenberg, 60, was found dead Jan. 23 in LCC's Student and Personnel Service building before she was scheduled to teach a class.
"She was the kind of teacher you pride yourself on: passionate about students and committed in the classroom," LCC spokeswoman Ruth Borger said. "She's someone we won't be able to replace.
"We will be trying to get through this and move on, but we won't forget her."
Last week, Claude McCollum, an LCC student and Lansing resident, was charged with Kronenberg's murder and first degree criminal sexual conduct.
McCollum, 27, was not in any of Kronenberg's classes and is being held in the Ingham County Jail without bond.
He is scheduled to appear in Lansing's 54-A District Court on Friday for a preliminary exam. His attorney, David Merchant, said he will ask for an adjournment of the exam and postpone it until lab reports and autopsy reports are completed. Merchant also said he might request a psychological exam for McCollum.
"At this point, we're not prepared to go ahead with the prelim," Merchant said.
Kronenberg's murder, believed to be the first in LCC's history, has shaken the school and local community.
"There's a sad irony in her death because she probably could have helped that young man more than anyone," said Barry Stearns, a former counselor at LCC. "She was always reaching out, always helping the person who needed her the most."
Stearns remembered Kronenberg as a peaceful and supportive woman.
"She was a teacher who focused on student success, and I think she would like that to be her legacy, as a role model for others," Stearns said. "She had an excellent rapport with students.
"We've received numerous comments and e-mails from them about what a wonderful impact she had on their lives."
The funeral and memorial services were not open to the media, but Borger said she expected a turnout of close to 200 people. The funeral was held at St. Mary Cathedral, 219 Seymour St. in Lansing.
Borger said she hoped the college community would be able to shift its focus to positive work with students to honor Kronenberg's memory.
Borger also spoke about the resilience of the LCC community, saying things have continued as close to normal as possible this week. However, she did say that she feels the memorial service is an important event for those who knew Kronenberg.
"We are all feeling a lot of anger, shock and concern." Borger said. "This memorial is a ritual to give her friends, family and colleagues a chance to talk about Carolyn and to provide them with healing and closure, through stories about her life and what they've gone through the past week."
Staff writer Lauren Phillips contributed to this report.
Sarah Norris can be reached at norriss3@msu.edu.
