The town of Burleson has been rocked by the death of a Joshua High School math teacher who collapsed on Wednesday.
Brandon Ballew, 33, was a beloved husband, father, friend and teacher.
“It was one of the best hires I ever made,” said Mick Cochran, principal at Joshua High School. “And I’ve been equally devastated for the last few hours.”
The father of three young kids suddenly died Wednesday after collapsing while lifting weights at the Burleson Rec Center (BRiCk).
His wife and kids were just feet away when it happened. Ballew later died that night in the hospital.
“It’s not fair,” said Cochran. “My faith tells me there’s a reason for everything. But I struggle with this one.”
Ballew left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him.
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Cochran says he'll be irreplaceable.
“For only being here a year, he touched a lot of people,” said Cochran.
Ballew’s wife says he took a pay cut, leaving an engineering position with the city of Arlington to become a teacher.
But now, his geometry classroom sits empty filled with memories and pictures of his family he loved so much.
Down the hall, new computers were set up for a new engineering class Ballew was going to teach. That's now put on hold, as a community mourns the death of a man who made a difference.
“It’s going to sting and he'll be remembered,” said Cochran. “He left a positive influence and impact.”
Ballew’s wife says she was unaware of any prior medical conditions he had.
The family is still waiting for the autopsy to learn how Ballew died.
NBC 5's Jamie Weiss contributed to this report.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this article stated that police were investigating Ballew's death, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the cause of death.
