Elementary

Zelene Blancas, 35

Died December 27, 2020.

Dr. Sue A. Shook Elementary School, El Paso, TX

First Grade

Local news:

Zelene Blancas, a first grade bilingual teacher who posted a viral video of her first grade students giving each other friendly greetings two years ago, died from COVID-19, according to a former co-worker.

Blancas, who taught at Dr. Sue Shook Elementary School, allegedly died of COVID-19 and passed away this week, former Socorro ISD colleague Patty Flores said on social media.

“Ms. Blancas was a dedicated teacher who loved her students and provided a positive, loving environment for them. She had a light that shined from within and was a positive influence on all those around her,” Flores said in an email.

In her social media post, Flores said she and Blancas worked together as fourth grade bilingual teachers.

“She was my colleague and friend and simply a beautiful person all around. She will be greatly missed but her legacy of kindness, love and joy will carry on with all those who were blessed to have known her,” Flores said.

According to a GoFundMe page seemingly started by her family to raise money for her treatment, Blancas tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 20, had to be hospitalized on Oct. 24 and was remanded to the intensive care unit.

An update was posted to the GoFundMe page this week, stating Blancas was still fighting in the ICU as of Dec. 26. The GoFundme page had raised $18,250 of its $15,000 goal with more than 400 donors to the campaign as of Tuesday afternoon.

Hundreds of people were still donating money to the fund on Tuesday, some writing comments praising Blancas for her character and her work teaching children.

Flores said she worked with Blancas three years teaching fourth grade, before Blancas began teaching first grade and Flores moved to teach at another elementary school within the district.

“Regardless of the grade level she taught she was an inspiration and motivation for her students,” Flores said. “What she taught all of us about creating that positive environment, even during long distance learning, will never be forgotten.”

The video showing Blancas’ students giving one student high fives, hugs and handshakes received more than 13.6 million views in November 2018 and had 22.2 million views as of Tuesday.

According to a prior story written about the viral video in the El Paso Times, the video showed an example of a new educational initiative at the time called social-emotional learning, which teaches young students how to cope with their emotions, handle conflict and develop interpersonal skills.

One student was chosen at random to be the recipient of friendly greetings and classmates chose one of four greetings from a set of four greetings pictured on an adjacent wall.

As the students left for the day, they lined up and chose which greeting to bestow on the selected student, allowing students to feel in control of greetings they receive and allowing them to go home happy, Blancas told the Times.

“I want them to go home feeling like I’ll be waiting for them here the next day, or for them to feel like they’ll have a safe place to come back to and learn in a safe environment,” Blancas said two years ago.

Friends praise Blancas for teaching, advocacy

Viry Lujan’s children loved their teacher, Ms. Blancas. Lujan’s son was in Blancas’ class two years ago and her daughter was in Blancas’ most recent class.

“My children loved her very much, just like us,” Lujan said. “The news really broke our hearts, we’re going to miss her a lot. She was an excellent person and she easily won everyone’s heart.”

After Blancas’ video of her students went viral, she became involved in a nonprofit organization called Pinksocks Life, Inc. which aims to promote human connection around the world “by socially supporting other public charities,” according to its website.

A Pinksocks member sent Blancas a pair of pink socks after seeing her video and then 32 pairs of pink socks were given to Blancas’ first grade class. In 2019, Blancas’ now second grade class gifted pink socks to her new first grade class.

Following the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart, 1,337 pairs of pink socks were sent to students at Shook Elementary School and on Nov. 19, 2019, a “Kindness” pep rally was held, encouraging students to wear their pink socks on Mondays and teaching them about kindness in the process.

Nick Adkins, co-founder of Pinksocks, said Blancas was an example of the best of humanity.

“The ripple effect of love and kindness that she put out into the universe through teaching her kids through the years is immeasurable. Ms. Blancas and the entire staff and students at Shook are what we should all strive for each and every day, each and every now. She lives on in the love that she taught and spread. I am grateful for her. We all are,” Adkins said.

Patrick Key, 53

Died December 25, 2020.

Hendricks Elementary School, Powder Springs, GA

Fine Arts

Local news:

A Cobb County elementary school teacher died Friday after his month-long battle with COVID-19.

Patrick Key, who taught art at Hendricks Elementary School in Powder Springs, died Christmas Day, according to his wife Priscella Key.

Priscella Key, who teaches at Clay-Harmony Leland Elementary in Mableton, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Christmas Day that she has “lost my world and my heart is shattered.”

“Patrick was the kindest, sweetest, most gentle man that never wished harm on anyone,” she said. “The world has truly lost a very good person.”

A GoFundMe page created by fellow Cobb teacher Merry Mullins to help the Key family with medical bills carried the news.

“Christmas morning Heaven gained the sweetest angel this morning,” Mullins wrote on the page. “Although he fought so very hard, Patrick’s poor body was so tired. He is at peace and we have lost our world. Our hearts are shattered. Please don’t call me as I can’t talk and need some time.”

After feeling ill on Nov. 6, Key was admitted Nov. 15 to WellStar Kennestone Hospital’s intensive care unit after he began struggling to breathe. Within days of his illness, his wife also became sick with COVID-19. Priscella Key’s illness wasn’t as severe, so she was allowed to recuperate and recover at home.

Patrick Key is one of three known Cobb County educators who have been hospitalized with COVID-19. Dana Johnson, a Kemp Elementary School first-grade teacher, is in the intensive care unit at WellStar Paulding Hospital after she was admitted on Dec. 6. Jacob Furse, a Garrett Middle School chorus and drama teacher, has been hospitalized for a week at WellStar Kennestone Hospital’s unit reserved for COVID patients.

As of Thursday, Cobb County had 34,247 COVID-19 cases, 539 deaths and 2,321 hospitalizations, according to the state Department of Public Health. The county’s two-week case number per 100,000 people is 634, six times higher than what’s considered high community spread, DPH reports.

Tim Rygh, 49

Died December 22, 2020.

Century Elementary School, Grand Forks, ND

Fifth Grade

Local news:

Tim Rygh, a fifth-grade teacher at Century Elementary School, died Tuesday evening, Dec. 22, from COVID-19 at Altru Hospital. He was 49.

Rygh was hospitalized Nov. 8, struggling to breathe because of COVID-19 and bilateral pneumonia, according to a post on the GoFundMe page for a fund drive, organized by Lindsey Johnson, to help the family with medical expenses.

In a Facebook post, Rygh’s wife, Stacey, said her husband battled COVID-19 pneumonia for 44 days in the hospital. He had been on a ventilator for about a month.

“Our hearts are broken as Tim Rygh took his final breath tonight, December 22, 2020, at 8:37 p.m. We can only imagine the beauty and glory that he experienced as he received his miracle of complete healing, running down the streets of gold, into the arms of Jesus,” she said in the post.

“We will miss him forever, and covet your prayers for our family during this excruciating time of pain and loss,” Stacey Rygh said.

Visitation has been set for 12:30 to 2 p.m. Jan. 2, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m., at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks.

The family wishes to say, “as final words, ‘Thank you so much to the Greater Grand Forks community that has supported them, because they have felt their encouragement,’ ” said Pastor Keith Becker, a longtime friend of the Rygh family, who has served as pastor and now serves as area director of Grand Forks Young Life.

“If people wish to support the family through the GoFundMe page, they would be incredibly grateful,” said Becker, who was asked to speak to local news media on behalf of the Rygh family.

“They want to communicate that ‘we’re so thankful that every day with Tim was a good day,’ ” Becker said. “And their charge to all the people is to remember Tim’s mantra, ‘Love God and love people.’ ”

His Christian faith was so important, “because it gave Tim the hope that there is a promise of eternal life that gives purpose to this life on Earth,” Becker said.

Rygh, who is survived by his wife, Stacey, and children, Brayden, Sophie and Sadie, is known by many in the community as a devout Christian, loyal husband, loving father and beloved teacher.

“He leads by example with his calm demeanor and integrity and is highly respected in the Grand Forks community,” Lindsey Johnson wrote on the GoFundMe page. “He truly lives his life to serve others.”

During his hospital stay, Rygh’s battle with COVID-19 included “quite a few complications,” Johnson said, some of which required emergency surgery and medical procedures.

Rygh has been employed by Grand Forks Public Schools since August 1995.

A former student, Kayla Hipsher said in a Facebook post: “Mr. Rygh was my 4th grade teacher. He was so kind and funny. He was a (sic) amazing teacher.”

Heather Kremer wrote: “Mr. Rygh taught me how to not only be a leader but to give back to others.”

Pete Berg wrote: “Tim was one of the first people I met when I moved into the dorms at UND 30 years ago. He’s the guy everybody loves; someone you just WANT to be friends with. We lost touch over the years, but you never, ever forget a person like him.”

Early Wednesday, Dec. 23, staff members of Century Elementary School were notified of Rygh’s death and given an opportunity to come together virtually to share memories and offer mutual support, Tracy Jentz, communications coordinator for Grand Forks Public Schools, said in an email to the Herald.

“Employees also personally reached out to the families of Mr. Rygh’s students and will provide a similar virtual gathering opportunity to all Century fifth-grade families,” Jentz said.

Also Wednesday, all Century Elementary families and GFPS employees were notified of Rygh’s death, she said.

Philamena Belone, 44

December 16, 2020.

Wingate Elementary School, Fort Wingate, NM

Third Grade

CNN:

Even when she was hospitalized for Covid-19 and pneumonia for three days, Philamena Belone wanted to get home so she could resume doing what she loved most — teaching.

Belone led Zoom classes for behaviorally challenged students during the day and worked with those who had no internet at night via phone, her brother Phillip Belone told CNN. After the hospitalization, the third-grade teacher taught while wearing an oxygen mask from her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“I know that she kept wanting to go home to teach. She wanted to be with the kids that she was teaching,” Phillip Belone said. “She was actually on oxygen teaching when she would have been in the hospital, but her condition got to the point where she couldn’t physically breathe.”

Philamena Belone returned to the hospital almost two weeks later on November 28, her brother said. A week after that, she was put on a ventilator in a last-ditch effort to save her life.

But on December 11, the previously healthy 44-year-old passed away at the Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque. She leaves behind three children and one grandchild, as well as her parents, brother and sister.

The Belone family and many of the students the teacher served are part of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.

It’s a community that’s been hard hit by the virus. The Navajo Nation was a prominent hot spot for Covid-19 in the United States earlier this year. In May, it surpassed New York and New Jersey for the highest per capita infection rate.

The Navajo Department of Health reported 20,095 cases and 731 deaths as of Wednesday. It has a population of 173,667, according to US Census data.

Philamena Belone gave her heart to her students and she did everything she could to meet them on their level, her brother said.

“The most difficult students were given to my sister,” Belone said with a laugh. “She taught kids everyone gave up on but her. She never gave up on anyone.”

Belone was a teacher at Wingate Elementary School in Fort Wingate, New Mexico, about two hours west of Albuquerque. Her school confirmed her death in a statement to CNN.

“Her smile radiated throughout her classroom and her laughter could be heard echoing down the hallways,” Principal Eric North said. “She always had a kind word for others who came across her path, whether in the cafeteria, at the buses or on the playground. Her energy and sense of humor were contagious.”

During the pandemic, Philamena Belone taught virtual classes, her brother said. However, many of her Navajo students did not have access to reliable internet, he said.

As a result, Belone said his sister would drive to two hours each way every week and leave class materials at the school for her students.

She customized the materials for each one, he said. She created paper copies for some students, while others had laptops but no internet, so she made them flash drives that contained the materials. Other students could get online only from their parents’ phones at night, so she worked nights to meet their needs.

“She provided arts and crafts, little personal notes and mementos specific to each child,” Belone said. “She went above and beyond in teaching her kids through either phone calls, internet when it was available, and building the hard copies for all of her coursework for the week.”

Belone estimates his sister was working 70 hours a week. She did it because she loved the students and wanted to make each of them feel special, her brother said.

“A lot of the kids she worked with didn’t have the best upbringing, so she would always go on another level personally to engage with them and be a big sister or an aunt to them,” he said.

“My sister had some tough circumstances in her life also, so she had a special connection with behaviorally challenged kids,” Belone said. “She would love to connect with the kids and make them happy. That was her reward.”

Philamena Belone started feeling unwell November 12, her brother said. The symptoms were minimal at first, but a persistent cough landed her in the emergency room. Doctors diagnosed her with Covid-19 and pneumonia.

Doctors gave her oxygen and she stayed there for three days, but her yearning to get back to teaching was strong, her brother said.

She went home with an oxygen tank and mask, pushing to keep teaching until the end of the school term, her brother said. Her youngest son had been living with his mother but he left the house while his mother was quarantining.

Within two weeks, she had gotten worse and was taken back to the Albuquerque hospital.

Philamena Belone was a runner and someone who loved to exercise. Her brother found it unbelievable that she had to be placed on a ventilator December 6, he said.

The family also understood what the ventilator meant — Belone lost his aunt and uncle to the virus after both had been on ventilators, he said.

They thought Philamena Belone would be OK. “Prior to that she was a healthy and vibrant, good soul who we never expected would be in this situation,” Belone said.

She kept fighting and reassuring her family she would be OK, he said. Philamena Belone never wanted anyone to “fuss” about her and was a very private person, he said.

“We didn’t know that it came to such a dramatic circumstance until after she was physically admitted the second time,” Belone said. “I was under the impression that she was still going to be fine and the symptoms weren’t that bad. She hid all of that very well from all of us.”

The family said doctors found blood clots in her lungs and discovered she had a collapsed lung. She also went into kidney failure and required dialysis.

“I saw her at her worst but understood that she fought her heart out and she was ready to rest,” he said. Ultimately, her family made the heart-wrenching decision to remove her from the ventilator.

“After we made the decision … I was literally numb,” Belone said. “I had no feeling in my body. I didn’t know if I was dreaming or I didn’t know what was real.”

When she wasn’t in the classroom, Philamena Belone enjoyed horseback riding, hunting, crafting and traveling. She also loved to dance, spending time to teach her students some moves, her brother said.

But most of all, “she loved children,” her brother said.

Philamena Belone was a devoted, loving mother to three children.”Her children are absolutely devastated by the loss of their precious sweet mom,” Belone said.

Mekaile Belone, 27, Quionna, 22, and Dion Dotson, 19, are now missing their mother’s love and support. She also left behind a 4-year-old granddaughter, Mila.

The family created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the cost of Philamena Belone’s funeral. They met their fundraising goal within 48 hours, her brother said.

But what Belone will miss most about his sister is her smile with her “beautiful dimple on her right cheek.”

“Everyone’s going to miss her big vibrant contagious smile. Everyone’s going to miss her laugh,” he said. “What I’m going to miss most about her is her willingness to make people happy at whatever cost it took.”

Belone said he knows he’s not alone in the loss he and his family have felt because of the pandemic.

“Philamena’s story is not unique,” Belone said. “We should be focusing on all the stories, all of the hundreds of thousands of people, all of the millions of people in our country who have been affected by this.”

If anything, Belone hopes that people can learn from his sister’s life of service and giving.

“She would have wanted everyone to love one another and not judge one another, to see the best in everyone and to do whatever they could to make the world a better place,” he said. “That was her legacy.”

Diane Goetschius, 60

Died December 2, 2020.

Fletcher Elementary School, Beaumont, TX

Kindergarten

Obituary:

Diane Goetschius, 60, of Beaumont, Texas, passed away on December 2, 2020, in Beaumont.

Born in Beaumont on February 23, 1960 to Bobby Guy Ener and Margaret (Leggett) Ener, Diane graduated from Forest Park High School and then later from Lamar University. Diane had a passion for teaching kindergarten and loved reading and inspiring a love of reading in others. Through her 26 years in education, she taught countless children to read, to write, and to be kind to others. Always putting her family first, Diane put her teaching career on hold for a decade to be a full-time mom to her four daughters. During that time, she was the quintessential classroom volunteer, dance mom, band mom, youth group mom; she was always available to support her daughters in whatever their interests were at the time. She is remembered for teaching in her church at AWANA and vacation bible school, for her antics and hard work on youth mission trips with her girls, and for being that mom that all the kids could and wanted to talk to. Later in life, her grandchildren became her passion. She never showed up for a visit without a new book for them, and one of her greatest pleasures was reading to them. Diane met Jack, her high school sweetheart and one true love at the age of 15, and she loved him fiercely and completely, always doing what she could to keep him in line. Diane became a Christian as a young child and introduced Jack to The Lord when they were teenagers. Married in 1980, they endured the ups and downs of 40 years of marriage, and Jack was by her side holding her hand when she first looked into the eyes of Jesus.

She was preceded in death by her father, Bobby Guy Ener and her brother, Robert Ener.

She is survived by her loving husband of 40 years, Jack C. Goetschius; mother, Margaret Ener of Conroe; children, Katrina Johnson and her husband M.J. Johnson of Van Alstyne, Keila Goetschius and her fiancé J.W. Buller of Vidor, Karley Goetschius and her husband Derek Jackson of Beaumont, and Kalley McConathy and her husband Jared McConathy of Melissa; grandchildren, Gemma, Rylan, and Micah Johnson, Dylan Buller, Brody Campise, Addi, Ella, and Clara Jackson, Gabriel McConathy; siblings, Sherri Wright and her husband Bruce of Liberty, Stephen Ener and his wife Julia of Cypress, and Dawn Graff and her husband Billy of Conroe; sister-in-law, Mary Ener of Beaumont; and numerous nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Serving as pallbearers are M.J. Johnson, J.W. Buller, Derek Jackson, Jared McConathy, Joshua Graff, and Jacob Graff.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mission Arlington at https://missionarlington.org/ and the Alzheimer’s Association at https://act.alz.org.

James Beckers, 59

Died September 30, 2020.

Nancy J. Cochran Elementary School, Dallas, TX

Kindergarten

Obituary:

James Beckers was born on June 10th, 1961 in Mexico City and passed away on September 29, 2020. He was the youngest son to his parents, Herbert and María Guadalupe. His older sister María Elena and older brother Herbert Gerard took care of him since he was very young. Jimmy studied and graduated from “La Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí” licensed in Business Administration. He married Rosa Diana Palacios Salazar in 1990 and together they had two daughters, Anzie and Stephanie. In the year 2000, Jimmy and his family moved to Texas, where Jimmy studied to be a bilingual teacher and he earned his Master’s Degree as an Educational Administrator. Jimmy was a bilingual kindergarten teacher for 20 years. He taught his students and daughters to never give up. His favorite phrase was “yes we can, it can be done”. Jimmy bravely fought for his life until the last moment without giving up. Jimmy is an example for all of us because he was always happy, with a positive attitude. Jimmy enjoyed traveling around the world with his family, he loved to sing, dance, and above all he loved to laugh. He was a man of strong Catholic faith who loves God in heaven. He was an excellent son, brother, husband, professional, and friend. He is strongest, most loving, gentle, cheerful, kindest man we have ever known. He has done a lot for our family and we will always be thankful and love him with all of our hearts.

James Patrick Beckers Hermosillo nació el 10 de junio del 1961 en la Ciudad de México y murio el 29 de septiembre del 2020. Fue el hijo menor de sus padres Herbert y María Guadalupe. Su hermana mayor María Elena y su hermano mayor Herbert Gerard lo cuidaron mucho desde pequeño. Jimmy estudio y se graduó de la Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí como Licenciado en Administración de Empresas. Se casó con Rosa Diana en 1990 y juntos tuvieron 2 hijas: Anzie y Stephanie. En el año 2000, Jimmy y su familia se mudaron a Texas, donde Jimmy estudio para ser maestro bilingüe y obtuvo su maestría de Administrador Educativo. Jimmy fue maestro bilingüe de kínder por 20 años. Siempre enseñó a sus alumnos y a sus hijas a nunca darse por vencidos, su frase favorita era “si se puede”. Jimmy lucho por su vida con valentía hasta el último momento sin darse por vencido. Jimmy es un ejemplo a seguir, siempre alegre y positivo. A Jimmy le encantaba viajar por el mundo con su familia, cantar, bailar y sobre todo le encantaba reír. Era un hombre de fuerte fe católica que ama a Dios en el cielo. Fue un excelente hijo, hermano, esposo, padre, profesionista y amigo. Es el hombre más fuerte, cariñoso, gentil, alegre y bondadoso que hemos conocido. Él ha hecho mucho por nuestra familia y siempre le estaremos agradecidos y lo amaremos con todo nuestro corazón.

Zelene Blancas, 35

Friends praise Blancas for teaching, advocacy

Sandi Laughlin, 60

Patrick Key, 53

Tim Rygh, 49

Elaine Harrison, 64

Gloria Garza, 55

Philamena Belone, 44

Rose Mary Blackwell, 65

Diane Goetschius, 60

James Beckers, 59