Putnam School Board Members Reflect On Jerry Maynard’s Legacy

Long-time Putnam County educator and former school board member Jerry Maynard passed away Tuesday at the age of 80.

Board Member Dawn Fry said she first came to know Maynard when she joined the board. She said Maynard will be remembered for his passion for education and his advocacy for employees of the school system.

“Because I mean he worked in the school system and he was that principal and he had those teachers, so he was always an advocate for them on pay or whatever it might be,” Fry said. “My gosh, I think he touched every part of our school system.”

Fry said in addition to his passion, Maynard was a wealth of knowledge. She said any time there were building projects or similar work going on he was ready to explain the history of the project or why something was in place the way it was.

Fry said her family has a personal connection to Maynard’s time as principal at Sycamore Elementary School. She said her Uncle Pat had Down’s Syndrome and because of Maynard’s leadership at Sycamore, her uncle was able to thrive.

“And my grandmother who has now passed away and my mom still talk about how kind Mr. Maynard was to my Uncle Pat,” Fry said. “And how they were so grateful that my uncle was in a school with leadership like Mr. Maynard.”

Since learning of Maynard’s passing Tuesday, Fry said the school board has been working on ideas to honor his legacy. She said they want to do something personally as a board at Sycamore Elementary as a way to make sure generations to come will remember his impact on the Putnam County School System.

Board Chair Kim Cravens said that Maynard always did what he thought was best for the kids. She said he put so much thought into each of his decisions.

“When he rolled off the board and we presented him with the ‘I Make A Difference’ Award, I said Mr. Maynard is like E.F. Hutton–when he speaks, everyone listens because you know what he says is going to be relevant,” Cravens said. “And I just so appreciated his wisdom and everything he brought to the board.”

Cravens said that the community is losing a gem and a treasure.

“But I rejoice because I know that he is in the Kingdom of Heaven with Jesus and I know there is no greater gift than that,” Cravens said. “So we are thankful to know that and we are thankful for how he served the people of Putnam County and all the kids.”