UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A beloved former teacher in North Carolina has died from COVID-19.
George Rowland passed away Sunday night from the virus after contracting it over the holiday break. Rowland was a retired teacher in Union County and tutored at East Union Middle School.
[Ads /]
"He was a friend," Coworker Dorris Burtrell told WSOC. "He was a big brother. He was an uncle and, sometimes, in our school, he was a dad."
Another colleague noted Rowland was "an amazing example to the kids in school." Others said Rowland had a passion for teaching and was known for being a sharp dresser. Rowland's LinkedIn profile lists him as having worked for Union County Public Schools since 2001.
[Ads /]
Rowland was able to talk to his wife for the last time before being put on a ventilator.
In October, a Stanly County teacher died from COVID-19.