LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. — Families, friends and coworkers in South Georgia are mourning two beloved teachers who died just days apart from each other. Both had COVID-19.
Hahira Elementary School posted on Facebook on Aug. 19 that teacher Brian Mainor died the previous day at South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta. The 51-year-old had been teaching at the school for 29 years.
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“He has always been known as the fun, caring, compassionate person you could depend on to make you smile and laugh,” the school wrote.
Mainor’s sister-in-law, Lora Mainor, told WALB-TV that he planned to retire soon.
“We were all in shock. Our family is grieving and we thought he was getting better,” Mainor told WALB-TV.
Lora Mainor told WALB-TV that he was admitted to the hospital exactly a week before with difficulty breathing and flu-like symptoms.
You can read his full obituary here.
On Aug. 20, the Valdosta City Schools Facebook page posted about the death of beloved teacher Rashida Kimmons. She died on Aug. 19.
The 40-year-old taught at S.L. Mason Elementary School in Valdosta.
WALB-TV spoke to Kimmons’ husband, who said one of the last things she said to him was asking about her students.
“One of the last things she asked me was, ‘who has my kids?’ She went above and beyond when it came to her kids in school, she treated those kids in school and class like they were her own. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for her children,” Adolphus Kimmons said to WALB-TV.
Adolphus Kimmons said his wife’s death was very sudden. He said they celebrated her birthday in July in Daytona and then things took a turn for the worst.
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Adolphus Kimmons told WALB-TV that he wants more people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Get regular check-ups, see a doctor, don’t be afraid to go to the doctor. And no, I don’t get out and hold signs to advocate for the vaccination but I do believe the vaccination helps and I do believe the vaccination works,” Adolphus Kimmons told WALB-TV.
You can read her full obituary here.
WALB-TV said that both Kimmons and Mainor were unvaccinated.
Information from WALB-TV was used in this report
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