Wichita community saying goodbye to local leader [Video]

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) – The community is coming together to celebrate the life of a longtime leader.

Wichita Heights athletic director Michael Church died two weeks ago after a battle with brain cancer at the age of 44. Church used his cancer journey to highlight his faith in God, and his love for the community that supported him through it. 

Church grew up in Wichita, and graduated from Wichita South High School in 1997. Throughout his childhood, he developed a passion for sports, especially baseball and wrestling. He would be awarded a wrestling scholarship to Labette County Community College, and eventually Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Church majored in education and began his career at his alma mater, Wichita South, in August 2003. After 12 years of teaching high school math, he pursued a master’s degree in educational leadership at Wichita State University. His role expanded to Athletic Director at Wichita North High School and Wichita Heights High …