A married couple who both taught in the Grand Prairie ISD died last weekend of COVID-19.
Rose Mary Blackwell, a second-grade teacher, and her husband, Paul Blackwell, a middle school teacher and coach, both passed away Sunday.
"It is with great sadness that we report the passing of two GPISD staff members after a courageous battle with COVID-19," GPISD said in a statement Monday. "Rose Mary and Paul will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family, friends, co-workers, and students both current and former."
According to the district, Rose Mary Blackwell served as a second-grade bilingual teacher, team leader, and mentor. She taught at the Travis World Language Academy for the past 20 years, making her the longest-tenured teacher on campus.
Her husband, Paul Blackwell, served as a PE teacher, mentor, and coach at Fannin Middle School where he served for the past five years. He had taught at the Young Men's Leadership Academy at Kennedy Middle School prior to coaching at Fannin.
Grand Prairie ISD said counselors will be on both campuses this week to provide support for staff and students in the wake of the deaths.
