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MIDVALE — A history teacher in the Canyons School District is being remembered by friends.
Jonah Glenn was killed Wednesday after a suspected drunk driver allegedly pulled out in front of him while Glenn was riding his motorcycle on 300 West near 900 South. Wilhelm Robert Heider, 26, whose blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.129%, or about 2 1/2 times the legal limit, according to a police booking affidavit, was arrested for investigation of automobile homicide.
Salt Lake police had not released the 24-year-old victim's name as of Friday. But according to several posts on social media and a GoFundMe page, the motorcyclist was Glenn, a history teacher at Midvale Middle School.
"Our best friend, Jonah Glenn, was killed by a drunk driver. We're hoping to support his family put together a funeral/memorial deserving of this incredible person. Everyone who met Jonah absolutely loved him and was drawn in by his energy. He loved getting on his motorcycle and exploring the country. Everyone mattered to him and he loved making everyone feel like they mattered," according to Glenn's fundraising page, which had raised nearly triple the amount of its goal in just the first 12 hours.
Glenn began teaching in the Canyons School District in July 2020, according to his LinkedIn page. Before that, he was a teaching assistant at Iowa State University and worked as a bartender in Ames, Iowa.
"As so many of his students will tell you, Mr. Glenn was a wonderful teacher. I also knew him to be a trusted colleague and great friend. The Midvale Middle community will miss him so much," Mindy Robison, Midvale Middle School's principal stated in a letter sent out to parents.
A woman on Facebook posted that Glenn was her son's seventh grade history teacher.
"He is heartbroken as well as the entire Midvale Middle community," she posted.
The district said crisis counselors would be at the school Friday to help students who needed to talk.
Several tributes to Glenn were also posted on social media, including one from the Hog Wallow Pub in Cottonwood Heights, where Glenn also worked.
"A mischievous smile and a heart of gold, that is how we will remember our friend and co-worker, Jonah Glenn," the pub posted. "Our sincerest condolences go out to his family, friends and students. He was a truly special person who you could not help but love. He will be missed."
The pub said it was working on hosting an event to pay tribute to Glenn.
"Oh Jonah. My heart hurts. You were kind to everyone you met, and you loved others so well," another person posted. "I'm grateful for the memories we have together starting back when we were just kids at church. We have a lot of memories together, memories I'll cherish forever. You will be so incredibly missed."
As of Friday, no formal criminal charges have been filed in the case.
