Two educators in Rutherford County Schools have died from COVID-19 over the system’s fall break.
According to a social media post from the district, Smyrna High School history teacher and football coach Garry Mooney died last Wednesday. And Jennifer Baker Morton, an education assistant at Rocky Fork Middle School, died Saturday.
Mooney, 51, led Smyrna’s freshman football program and coached special teams. Teaching was a third career for Mooney who worked in insurance after college, then was ordained as a minister and became a Baptist youth pastor, serving churches for 14 years in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. His obituary says survived by his wife and three children.
A GoFundMe set up for Baker Morton, 46, says she “was always the life of the party and loved making others laugh.” Her obituary says she was a big wrestling fan and a three-time state champion dart player. She’s survived by three sons who live in Murfreesboro.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones,” the district says in a statement.
The Tennessee Lookout has been keeping track of all public school employee COVID deaths since the state isn’t tracking the figure. Statewide, there were 21 fatalities of teachers, bus drivers and cafeteria workers in August and September.
WPLN’s Alexis Marshall contributed to this story.
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