2-11-2025 4:48am

PASTOR, PROFESSOR:

Jeff Barto Editor

Loyola celebrates the life of Rev. Timothy Tooten, Sr., D.Min., affiliate professor in communication and media

By Rita Buettner

Rev. Timothy Tooten, Sr., D.Min., affiliate professor of communication and media, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. Tooten, who was 66, will be remembered for his media expertise, his enthusiasm for storytelling, and the great joy he brought to the classroom and to his colleagues.

Tooten started teaching a class at Loyola in August of 2000 while working full-time as a broadcast journalist with WBAL-TV. He had been offering courses at Loyola for almost 25 years, teaching hundreds of students.

“Dr. Tooten used to teach a class in the evening when he was at WBAL, and he was enjoying teaching classes in the daytime after retirement,” said Mas Biswas, Ph.D., chair of the department of communication and media. “He had become so popular that one of his classes this semester was over-enrolled.”

Biswas recalled that Tooten was in touch recently to coordinate a public school visit for students in his multimedia storytelling class. He wanted them to experience how to report on schools and topics of education. He was known for offering that type of hands-on, high-impact learning opportunity in his class.

“It was a source of enormous pride for us that we had a working broadcast reporter as part of our faculty. He was a person who was easy to talk with and his students often commented that he was the friendliest teacher they ever had,” said Elliot King, Ph.D., professor of communication and media. “He was generous with his time and eager to help students move forward in their education and their careers. He touched a lot of people during his time here and he will be sorely missed.”

After he retired from WBAL-TV in December 2023, Tooten continued teaching at Loyola, where he was often seen talking with students in the hallways—and helped many get internships at WBAL.

“Tim was an inspiration to so many at Loyola. His students loved hearing about and learning from his many years of news reporting experience, and the way he cared so passionately about helping them become ethical and responsible journalists and citizens,” said Sara Magee, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and media. “As a friend and colleague, he inspired me to be a better teacher, often reminding me why teaching journalism, despite its challenges, was as he would say, a ‘noble and necessary profession.’ His wisdom, guidance and friendship for the more than 13 years I was privileged to know him is something I will always treasure and will miss more than words can say.”

Over the years, Tooten had taught classes in a variety of topics, including Media Training, Media Presence, and Media Writing. This semester, he was teaching Multimedia Storytelling and Public Speaking.

“I attended Tim’s class several times, and his love and passion for teaching our students was evident,” said Terrence M. Sawyer, J.D., president of Loyola.

Herbert “Jay” Dunmore, campus media manager, recalls that Tooten was one of the first people he met when he arrived at Loyola.

“He was the embodiment of inspiration and insight, and he had a positive impact on those that he reached. I witnessed Loyola’s core values in action through his life, shaping excellence in a generation of media professionals at Loyola and beyond. He exemplified cura personalis and encouraged students and faculty to seek the magis in their lives,” Dunmore said. “He guided others to become the best version of themselves while walking the path of purpose. He was a great mentor and a great friend and will be missed.”

Tooten, who started at WBAL-TV in 1988, covered higher education for the station for 35 years before retiring in 2023. Among his awards and accolades was an Emmy award for a half-hour documentary, “Africa’s Maryland,” that was created in Liberia, West Africa.

Jenny Glick, assistant teaching professor in journalism, met Tooten around 2002 while he was working for WBAL-TV and she was covering a story for WMAR.

“We were both education beat reporters, so we ended up having a friendly rivalry, where we would watch each other's stories. More often than not, he would beat me. He was so well-known in Baltimore. People would naturally call him first with a news tip. More recently, it was fun to work with Tim at Loyola,” she said. “As a long-time television reporter and as a preacher, Tim always used his words responsibly, in an effort to educate, inspire and make the world a better place.”

Molly Robey, assistant teaching professor in communication and media, recalls how she and Tooten started working together when they were both teaching Media Writing.

“His office was right across the hall from mine and we’d spend many mornings chatting about television, students, his ministry, and family,” she said. “He’d always ask about my boys, and during a family health concern, he took the time to pray with me. It’s a moment I’ll cherish forever. Tim was selfless and genuine. I’ll remember his smile, passion for education, and unwavering faith."

Tooten started his broadcasting career in 1976 as a disc jockey while in high school in Live Oak, Florida and went on to be a reporter in Washington, D.C., and West Virginia before making Baltimore his home.

Marisa Brahney, ’04, a television host and media coach, was one of Tooten’s first students and serves on Loyola’s Communication and Media Advisory Board.

“Professor Tooten was a bright light during my time at Loyola, pushing me to pursue my dreams of breaking into TV news. I would often watch his stories on the news and we’d discuss during his class. He always had an encouraging thought or piece of advice to share, helping me make sense of the competitive and exciting field of journalism,” she said. “Throughout my now 20-plus year career, he followed my journey in television, checking in every few years and cheering me on from afar. We recently reconnected and I had the great pleasure of guest speaking to his students and hearing about his well-earned retirement from WBAL. He had the same jovial spirit, encouraging words, and smooth TV voice of gold.”

Taleah Dixon, ’22, MBA ’23, a color analyst for ESPN+, landed her internship with WBAL-TV her senior year, after using Tooten as a reference. She had the chance to work with him as an intern and then later as a colleague at WBAL-TV.

“It was just amazing to see how impactful he was by simply being himself—kind, loving, and a man of God. I was blessed to know Dr. Tooten for the short time that I did,” she said. “He has left a mark on my life in helping to start my career in broadcast television.”

In 2017, Tooten published a book, Leading by Example: A Parental Guide to Teaching and Modeling Christian Faith at Home.

“Tim was a master at engaging students, and was such a great storyteller,” said Kevin Atticks, DCD, ’97, director of Apprentice House, Loyola’s student-run publishing house, as well as affiliate assistant professor of communication and Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Maryland. “He had begun working on a book to publish with Apprentice House later this year—a collection of daily devotions.”

Tooten earned a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from Florida State University, a Master of Arts degree from St. Mary’s Seminary and University Ecumenical Institute of Theology, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Seminary.

Tooten founded and served as the pastor of a nondenominational church, Harvest Christian Ministries, which is based in Nottingham, Maryland, where he lived with his wife, Charlene. He is survived by Charlene, their three children, and two grandchildren.

Arrangements

Arrangements for services will be shared here when available.

At Loyola, Dr. Tooten was remembered in the intentions at Mass in Loyola’s Alumni Memorial Chapel on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, at 12:10 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at Loyola at a future date.