JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville school is mourning the loss of two of its own.
Teachers Marilyn Foshee and Julie Foshee-Knowell, who both worked in the nursery at Trinity Christian Academy, died from complications of COVID-19 just days apart, Christopher Carr, the school’s spokesperson, told Action News Jax.
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Foshee and Knowell were mother and daughter and both taught at the school for many years.
Tom Messer, senior pastor at Trinity Baptist Church, told Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole that the two were loved by the staff at Trinity. Messer said Foshee-Knowell even babysat his own kids and they thought of her as “the funnest human being on earth.”
Families love them not only because they taught the kids, but nurtured them too.
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“Julie, and her mom Marilyn, their family have been at Trinity as long as I can remember,” Messer said.
They were more than staff -- they were family.
“I think that’s what makes it so profoundly sad. That, it’s a mom and a daughter and people that have given their life for service for other people, particularly children,” Messer said.
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Foshee-Knowell was the preschool director at Trinity Christian Academy and Messer said Foshee, who was affectionately known as “Mimi” the Trinity grandma, worked in there with her.
“People forever tell the stories about Mimi coming to the rescue, where she could make it where, kids were being ‘grandmothered,’ not taught,” Messer said.
Carr said he believes both teachers may have contracted the virus over Thanksgiving break. He said no one at the school was exposed to the virus.
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Messer said their focus is now on Scott Foshee after losing his mother and sister, and his father before this.
“So Scott is the only one left, so it has been a really hard six or seven days for Scott and our staff has been with him every day trying to help him through this,” Messer said.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family. To learn more about it, click here.
Action News Jax’s Courtney Cole is working to learn more information. Watch live updates at 5 p.m. on CBS47 & FOX30 Action News Jax.
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