Tammy Waddell remained committed to the welfare of her students even after her death.
The Georgia teacher, who served the Forsyth County Schools district for three decades, passed away from stomach cancer.
Her final wish was for backpack donations for kids in need.
And her community obliged. The church where her funeral service was held was lined with backpacks up and down the aisle along the pews.
Waddell worked both as a teacher and paraprofessional at several different elementary schools within the district.
She became a national board-certified teacher in 2003.
She had also been named as a Forsyth County Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Waddell had only been retired briefly before her death in 2018.
[photo]
“Tammy was a servant leader that loved children,” Jennifer Caracciolo, a spokesperson for the school district, said in a statement. “The generous backpack/supplies donations in her memory is a touching tribute.”
Photos of the backpacks at Waddell’s funeral were posted online and went viral.
“My cousin, a teacher, wanted backpacks with supplies brought to her funeral instead of flowers for needy students,” Brad Johnson, who is also an educator, wrote on Twitter. “Serving others to the end.”
Johnson said she was a significant influence in helping him to pursue his career and inspired him with her dedication to the children.
“She was as quick to give a hug as she was quick to give supplies to students who needed it,” he said.
Waddell’s son, Kevin Waddell, also became a teacher in the same school district because of his mom.
Her “passion” for education is one of the things he admired most about his mom, who also left behind her husband of 41 years, another son, and four grandchildren.
Kevin Waddell said he wasn’t surprised that there were so many donations made in her name.
Many students on her memorial page stated how much she had impacted them and how she was their best teacher.
“She lived life by loving others and she was never worried about attention … she was just focused on the love,” Kevin Waddell said.
Waddell’s obituary states that she was passionate about literacy and believed all children should have the right to learn.
It also asked that donations of backpacks be made in lieu of flowers at her funeral or that donations be sent directly to Project Connect.
Project Connect is run by the Forsyth school district, which solicits donations for school supplies and fills backpacks with them.
The district then holds an annual event where teachers visit their students’ homes to deliver the backpacks.
About 130 backpacks were donated in Waddell’s name. Many have said that this was Waddell’s last lesson.
“The message she would try and deliver at this point is donate to your local schools. It doesn’t have to be here specifically,” Johnson said.
Learn more about Waddell’s story and her dedication to her students in the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
