Teachers killed in Apalachee HS shooting to be added to national memorial
The Brief
Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie will join the names on the National Memorial to Fallen Educators later this month.
The teachers were known in the community for their kindness and passion for teaching.
The memorial was established in 2013 and is the only national site in the United States that permanently honors K-12 public and private educators and school employees who died in the line of duty.
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Two teachers killed during last year's shooting at Apalachee High School will be added to the National Memorial to Fallen Educators later this month.
Math teachers Richard Aspinwall and Cristina Irimie will join the names on the memorial at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas after a ceremony on June 20.
The backstory
Cristina Irimie was a beloved figure in the Romanian community of Gwinnett and Barrow counties, known for her passion for teaching and her commitment to preserving her heritage.
Father Nicolae Clempus, pastor of St. Mary's Romanian Orthodox Church in Dacula, said teaching was not just a job for her, it was her life's passion. She dedicated her life to both educate and uplift children both at her high school and in her Romanian immigrant community.
"The first thing you see is her big smile. She was always smiling," Clempus said.
Some students reported that Irimie heroically died while trying to shield others from harm.
When Richard "Ricky" Aspinwall wasn't teaching his students math, he was motivating them on the football field.
His fellow coaches described Aspinwall as an amazing husband, father, and teacher as well as a "helluva human being."
"He was a tremendous football coach, but I tell people that's not why everybody loved him,"close friend Derek Tiller told FOX 5. "Everybody loved him because he was a selfless individual that wanted to do everything he could to make the program better and do what he could to help kids. And he lived that out every day and because of that, I want to make sure to keep that alive and people know what a great person he really was."
Dig deeper
The other individuals who will be honored at the ceremony are:
Annie Louise Keller, 25, teacher at Centerville (Illinois) Country School, killed by tornado debris on April 19, 1927.
Christopher J. Trakimas, 61, boiler mechanic, Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District, died May 18, 2016, after a workplace explosion.
Nohema Graber, 66, Spanish teacher, Fairfield (Iowa) High School, killed Nov. 2, 2021.
Kevin Garrison, 56, maintenance supervisor, Elkhorn (Nebraska) Public Schools, died Sept. 4, 2024, in a construction incident.
Leah Seneng, 60, art teacher, Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, California, died Nov. 22, 2024, from a rabid bat bite sustained on school property.
Erin M. West, 42, teacher, Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, died in a school shooting on Dec. 16, 2024.
Carol L. Mendiola-Mooers, 48, school counselor, Bering Strait (Alaska) School District, died in a Feb. 7, 2025, plane crash en route to visit with students.
The memorial was established in 2013 and is the only national site in the United States that permanently honors K-12 public and private educators and school employees who died in the line of duty.
"Each name is a legacy," said Maddie Fennell, executive director of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. "And we're calling on the public to help us ensure those legacies are seen, read, and remembered."
What you can do
The National Teachers Hall of Fame has started a fundraising campaign to raise money needed to purchase and install another "book" made of black granite for the next set of names.
You can learn more about the GoFundMe here.
The Source
Information for this story came from a release by the National Teachers Hall of Fame and previous FOX 5 reporting.
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