12-year-old orphaned when mom dies weeks after dad’s COVID death, Georgia schools say
A 44-year-old Georgia mother was hospitalized with COVID-19 when the disease took her husband’s life.
Just a few weeks later, Heidi Hammond also died, leaving behind their 12-year-old son, multiple news outlets reported.
“Our hearts are breaking for this loss and for Heidi’s family and son Marshall,” Chatsworth Elementary School in North Georgia wrote Saturday in a Facebook post. “Heidi will be greatly missed.”
Heidi Hammond, who died Friday, is remembered in her obituary as a loving mother and educator who dedicated more than two decades to the Murray County School District, roughly 90 miles north of Atlanta.
“She loved her son and his involvement in sports, and she loved her students and kept in touch with her former students,” Peeples Funeral Home said on its website.
While Heidi Hammond was hospitalized, officials said her husband died of COVID-related complications, WTVC reported.
Sean Hammond, 51, was getting ready to start a job at Hammond Creek Middle School when he was diagnosed with the virus. He died on Aug. 30, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press and an obituary on The Daily Citizen website.
“It was clear that he was (a) talented and passionate educator and coach ...” Dalton Public Schools said in an emailed statement. “He was never able to start the school year with students in the classroom. However, he had also joined the Hammond Creek Tigers coaching staff during the summer and had already left an indelible mark on the other coaches and players.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have urged eligible adults to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The Hammonds were healthy but hadn’t been vaccinated, Sean’s brother John, also a teacher, told The Daily Citizen.
“We come from a family of teachers and coaches,” the brother said, according to the newspaper. “Our uncle was a head football coach. Our dad was a coach and teacher.”
Misty Silvers, a family friend, told WTVC the Hammonds were devoted parents whose “worlds revolved around” their 12-year-old, now living with his grandparents.
“The whole family bonded over football,” she said, according to the TV station. “Marshall was just big into football, and he’s a phenomenal football player.”
The Murray County School District didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Tuesday.
This story was originally published September 28, 2021 at 2:40 PM with the headline "12-year-old orphaned when mom dies weeks after dad’s COVID death, Georgia schools say."
