According to reports, beloved school principal Stan Elrod passed away suddenly on Tuesday, October 25. The teacher’s reputation for caring deeply about his students preceded him.
The death of Stan Elrod at age 70 has devastated everyone in Forsyth County. In 2005, Stan became the first principal of Reagan High School, a career to which he had devoted most of his life. After working for five years, he finally decided to retire.
There has been no announcement regarding the death’s cause. Facebook has been flooded with condolences for his wife Linda and their children Angie and Michael. His older sister, Donna Whitlock, revealed on social media that Elrod had died on Tuesday at home.
Stan Elrod Has Passed Away
“My heart is broken tonight,” she wrote on Facebook. “My sweet baby brother, Stan Elrod passed away at his home tonight. It was very sudden and unexpected. We are all in shock and hurting.”
Stan grew up as the youngest of three brothers and sisters in Whitmire, South Carolina. His passion for the game of basketball predicted a successful professional playing career. Even though the University of South Carolina had expressed interest in him because of his talent, he chose to study at Newberry College instead.
That’s when he decided to go out and meet the woman who would become his wife, Linda. In July 2022, the pair celebrated 50 years of marriage. The couple had their first two children, Angie in 1975 and Michael in 1977.
With a love for both education and sports, becoming a social studies teacher and coaching the basketball team at RJ Reynolds High School was a dream come true. From that point on, Stan rose up the ranks and gained widespread acclaim as a beloved educator.
In 1986, he was promoted to the position of associate principal at RJ Reynolds, and in 1991, he was named principal. Since he was the first leader at Ronald Wilson Reagan High School, he established many cherished rituals and forged an unbeatable squad. When he retired in 2010, he said he would “miss the students and the teachers, but not the other stuff.”
Stan was one of five people running for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education at the time of his death. According to WFDD, he earned over 9000 votes, making him the primary election’s runner-up in terms of support. There have been many tributes to Elrod on social media from his many friends, former coworkers, and current and former students.
A former student shared this nice memory of Stan: “My principal, Stan Elrod, was my friend. He asked my mom if he could talk to me. So one day the doorbell rang, during the school day. It was him.”
.@GaDNRLE Capt. Stan Elrod was a proud husband, father & public servant who worked tirelessly to positively impact people’s lives. His death is devastating for his family, colleagues & Georgia. Please join Marty, the girls & I in praying for his loved ones as they mourn. pic.twitter.com/Ub0MA65aw0
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) September 4, 2020
Someone else added in, “He was a beautiful soul and my first principal when I became an educator. He was loved and respected by students and teachers alike. Anytime I would cross paths with him.”
“One of my dearest and oldest friends, Stan Elrod, passed away last night,” a third user mourned. “Stan devoted his entire life to the education and betterment of students in Forsyth County.”
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