News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Warren County High School Math Teacher John Upchurch will be honored on Saturday, after passing away from COVID.
Upchurch passed away this weekend.
Director of Schools Grant Swallows said the funeral service will be at Highland Rim CrossFit at 1:00 PM, the gym that Upchurch owned. Swallows said the death has been difficult to process this week, as staff and students work to reconcile with what has happened.
“When I was in high school, I think we thought we were invincible,” Swallows said. “And I think kids these days are seeing people they know, taken way too early. So, like I said it’s a tough thing for our entire community and especially Warren County High School.”
Swallows said Upchurch’s legacy will be a man loved by students and staff over his five years teaching at the school. Swallows said that counseling will continue to be available for anyone in the school.
“There were some students and there were some adults who needed to sit down and talk to some folks,” Swallows said. “That took place on Monday and it will continue to be there for them as we transition. It’s always the toughest when you get away from it a little bit, to go back to a day-to-day routine and those folks are not there. So we’re going to continue to support the folks from the high school and we’re going to miss Mr. Upchurch.”
Swallows said the system had not experienced any staff COVID deaths up until recently with a high school custodian also dying from COVID just a few weeks ago.
