1. Tyler educator and swim instructor Debbie Jones impacted countless lives

The community is mourning the death of a beloved Tyler educator.

Debbie Jones, 56, who died Wednesday, taught math at Robert E. Lee High School for close to three decades and also taught hundreds of young children to swim.

Former Lee Principal Gary Brown said Jones was ingrained in the fabric of the school, and her impact on the students would leave a lasting legacy.

“She had a true heart for helping students that were struggling,” he said. “She truly wanted to see students be successful.”

Brown described her as fair but firm. He said she was invested in the success of her students.

Zach Cannon said there was no question when it came to who he and his wife, Rachel, would have teach their infant daughter, Reagan, to swim.

“My experience with Ms. Debbie was through the eyes of my daughter,” Cannon said.

Reagan bonded with Jones immediately and looked forward to every lesson, he said.

“She was a calm and heartful person,” he said. “She always demonstrated that to the kids.”

Cannon said Jones was the type of teacher who wanted to take on the hardest students, because she believed they deserved the same opportunities to learn.

“It was in her heart,” he said. “She loves to teach and (told swimming students) we’re here to learn something and what is best for you. She wanted you to be safe.”

Cannon said her impact in the community was huge.

“She was just really precious to my family,” he said.

Carrie Halbrooks spent a lot of time with the family. Not only was she a student of Jones’, her daughter was also Halbrooks’ best friend throughout high school.

“If I could pick one person to be in my life, it would be Debbie. She was the strongest person I know and always had her life perfectly put together,” Halbrooks said. “She was so supportive of her family and made it a point to be at every event for them. She pushed you to be the best you possibly could be in the class and outside of the classroom. The world needs more Debbie Jones’ and she will be terribly missed.”

A memorial fund has been set up to help the family with expenses.

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/djmemorialfund.

Arrangements are pending with Stewart Family Funeral Home.

Twitter: @TMT_Cory

 

Apache Belles dedicate halftime show to Jones

The Tyler Junior College Apache Belles dedicated their halftime performance in memory of Debbie Jones, Apache Belle Gold of the 32nd line, who passed away on Wednesday.

Debbie’s mother was an Apache Belle in the 1950s.

Her oldest daughter, Maddie, was an Apache Belle and Dance Captain for the 67th line and Thursday her daughter Meg, took the field for her first performance as head dance captain of the 69th line.

Meg said she knew this is what her mother wanted.

— Phil Hicks

 

Others remember Debbie Jones:

REL senior Andrew Tompkins

“Mrs. Jones always had that snarky fun attitude with the kids she came into contact with on a daily basis. She even helped talk me through how I was asking a girl to homecoming last year. Kids on campus have a mutual agreement that she was the best teacher on campus,” Tompkins said. “Her kids are literally involved in everything (swim, baseball, drill team, theater, basketball, church) and she was always there at every event pushing her kids on and supporting them in various organizations on campus. All of her kids loved her like crazy because of how big a part she was in their lives. Her enthusiasm for that school is unmatchable. Lee will never be the same without her. We miss you, Mrs. Jones.”

 

Taylor Cannon

“She impacted the way I parent.”

“One of the things I remembered was that she affirmed (her children’s) fears and told them it was OK to be scared. … She never got frustrated. It was more than just swimming, she taught them to reason. Anything that a child said, she validated.”

 

Wendy Kimbrell Elliott

“Debbie was a teacher at Lee when I was a student back in the early 1990s (I graduated in 1995). She was my math tutor. I was struggling with honors Algebra 2; she had been recommended by my teacher at Lee as a possible tutor. From day one of tutoring, she was encouraging, positive and just an all-around great person. She helped me see my abilities. Her constant encouragement, even after tutoring ended and during my time at Lee, was the confidence boost that I needed as a shy teenager. I went on to Texas Tech to not only obtain my bachelor’s degree but also a master’s degree.” 

Savannah Brown and family

“There are no words to describe the impact that Debbie Jones has had on all of our lives, on so many levels. She will be sorely and immensely missed. Countless math tutoring, many swim lessons and so much laughter. We loved her so very much.”

 

Camille Null

“Debbie Jones. The most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She genuinely cared about me and how well I did and believed in me. She didn’t only believe in me academically, but she believed in me as a person. I can recall having a rough day last year and missing all my classes except for Precal with Mrs. Jones. Numerous times in tutorials I came to finish a test or redo a quiz and we just talked about life instead because that’s what she did. She asked you questions and cared about the answers. Her dry humor that could make anyone laugh was only the surface level of the even more extraordinary heart of hers. I could always count on Mrs. Jones, as could anyone that knew her.”