Westminster community mourns loss of Coach Gary Jones after body recovered from Lake Oconee
Heartbreak and grief, that's the feeling of the community where Gary Jones taught and coached.
Jones' body was found in Lake Oconee Sunday afternoon, where he disappeared more than a month ago.
Channel 2′s Candace McCowan was at Westminster Schools, where Jones taught and coached, after speaking to the families he impacted.
At the school on Monday, they held a prayer in Jones' honor, but the parents said they couldn't let the opportunity pass without letting the world know what his impact on the students was.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
'I remember last year, my 10th graders were all in a flurry sometime in the late winter, early spring, about baking cookies. They wanted to bake cookies and take them to Gary Jones' class for his birthday,' parent Christine Quillian told McCowan.
Quillian had three daughters in Jones' physics class at Westminster.
He taught and coached at the private school for more than 20 years. For the students in his classroom, he was special.
Quillian's daughter sent her a text about Jones last night reading 'First semester physics exam, he wrote on the front page of the exam 'The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord makes his face shine upon you and to be at peace.''
TRENDING STORIES:
Body of beloved teacher found a month after vanishing on Lake Oconee
Sheriff says despite speculation, he believes missing teacher is still in Lake Oconee
Lake Oconee search: Channel 2 gets exclusive look at equipment being used to find missing teacher
Wallet, credit cards found in boat of teacher who vanished on Lake Oconee
Search crews say it could be weeks before locating coach missing in Lake Oconee
Family of teacher who vanished on Lake Oconee releases statement
'My daughter said, 'you know, that just gave me so much comfort,'' Quillian said.
Jones and his fiancée Joycelyn Wilson disappeared on Lake Oconee on Feb. 8.
For search crews, investigators and Jones' family, the past month has been grueling, but it's also been hard for the young students whose minds he'd shaped over the years.
His disappearance taught them a final lesson, on grief.
'It's a process, there's some laughs and some tears,' Quillian said.
Another student shared a Net Force award he received, signed by Jones, for sustained outstanding effort. It's an award they want search crews to know they deserve.
'There's been so much strength and effort to find him,' Quillian said. 'Not wanting to leave him behind and not wanting to leave him alone.''
Those students have even visited Lake Oconee multiple times to show their appreciation for the search.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Feds say they will retry state Sen. Emil Jones III on bribery charges after jury deadlocked in April
Federal prosecutors announced Tuesday that they will seek to retry state Sen. Emil Jones III on bribery charges after a jury in April deadlocked on all counts, leading to a mistrial. Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri made the announcement during a status hearing before U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood. Jones' attorney, Victor Henderson, asked for time to inform Jones, who was not present in court. The judge did not immediately set a trial date. Jones, 46, a Chicago Democrat and son of former Senate President Emil Jones Jr., was charged with agreeing to take bribes from an executive of a red-light camera company in exchange for Jones' protection in Springfield against legislation that would hurt the company's bottom line. Wood declared a mistrial on April 24 after the jury at least twice reported they could not reach a verdict. Before doing so, she polled them individually to hear about their progress. Afterward, she reported that nearly all of them suggested that no further progress could be made. 'Considering all of the elements and the concern that there could be a prejudicial impact of continuing forced deliberations at this point … I think it's appropriate at this point to declare a mistrial,' Wood said at the time. The jury of seven women and five men had deliberated for about 24 hours over four days before announcing they were deadlocked. The mistrial came nearly six years after FBI agents confronted Jones at his Roseland neighborhood home as part of a sweeping investigation into bribery schemes involving red-light cameras, liquor licenses and other graft across the west and southwest suburbs. At the heart of the probe was Omar Maani, co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC who agreed to work undercover for federal investigators after being confronted with evidence he was paying off officials in Oak Lawn in exchange for political support to add SafeSpeed cameras at additional intersections. Maani, who was granted a deferred prosecution agreement by the U.S. attorney's office for his extensive cooperation, was the star witness at Jones' trial, testifying for the first time in public about his prolific turn as an FBI mole. That cooperation also has netted the convictions of former Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta, ex-Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Anthony Ragucci, and Jeffrey Tobolski, the former mayor of McCook and Cook County commissioner. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones agreeing not to file a bill calling for a statewide study of red-light cameras, which SafeSpeed considered potentially damaging to its bottom line. Jones also offered to 'protect' the company from his friend, then-state Rep. David McSweeney, who had filed bills of his own calling for an all-out ban of red-light cameras, according to prosecutors. The charges allege Jones also asked Maani to give his former office intern a part-time job, which led to $1,800 being paid to the intern in exchange for no work. jmeisner@
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Police looking for woman accused of using stolen credit card at local mall, taking over $14K
Police are searching for a woman who they said spent over $14,000 using someone else's credit card. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Beavercreek Police Department shared a photo of the woman on their social media and said that on May 23, she used a stolen credit card at multiple stores inside the Mall at Fairfield Commons. TRENDING STORIES: 3 new businesses coming to Huber Heights; Neighbors 'feel good' about continued development 1 dead, at least 2 others hurt after homemade fireworks cause explosion at Ohio home Invasive stinging insect that could cause death spotted in Ohio The woman is then accused of going to Chase Bank, where she made a large withdrawal. In total, the woman is accused of stealing $14,631.30. Anyone who can identify the woman is asked to contact Detective McCain at (937) 426-1225, ext. 249, or email mccainc@ Police said you may remain anonymous. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
GA man accused of slapping victim, taking phone as they tried to call 911
A disturbance call led to the arrest of a 27-year-old Georgia man. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Last Friday, just before 6 p.m., deputies in Saratoga County, NY, responded to a disturbance call on Reynolds Road in Moreau. During the investigation, deputies arrested David J. Peters, 27, of Columbus, Ga. Peters is accused of slapping another person and taking their phone as they tried to call 911. The 27-year-old is also accused of stealing two cellphones, each worth over $1,000. TRENDING STORIES: I-75 NB shut down at Delk Road Conner Smith hits, kills 77-year-old woman walking in crosswalk, police say 'Black Mecca' no longer? Atlanta prices cause families to move out of the city Peters was charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal mischief, and attempted assault. The Columbus man had an arraignment and was later released. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
