Even after she passed away, Tammy Waddell was always concerned about her students.

The Forsyth County Schools educator in Georgia died of stomach cancer after 30 years of service.

Donated backpacks were her dying wish for disadvantaged children.The people around her listened, too.

Her funeral was held in a church, and the pews all the way down the aisle were stuffed with bags.

Waddell was employed by the district as both a teacher and a paraprofessional, and she spent time at a number of primary schools.

In 2003, she earned her certification to teach at the national level.Forsyth County Schools also recognized her as their Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Before her death in 2018, Waddell had only been retired for a short time.

Jennifer Caracciolo, a spokeswoman for the school district, said in a statement, ’Tammy was a servant leader that loved students.’

The donations of school supplies and backpacks made in her honor are a heartwarming gesture.
Images of the backpacks worn by mourners at Waddell’s burial quickly gained attention online.

In place of flowers, fellow schoolteacher Brad Johnson requested that donations of school supplies

be made in her cousin’s name for disadvantaged pupils during the funeral. ‘Being of ultimate service to others.’

According to Johnson, she was a major inspiration in his decision to seek a career working with children.

She was ‘just as ready to give a hug to pupils in need as she was to give things to students in need,’ he said.

Kevin Waddell, Waddell’s son, followed in his mother’s footsteps and became a teacher in the same district.

His mother, who had been married for 41 years, had also left behind another son and four grandkids,

all of whom he greatly liked.It didn’t surprise Kevin Waddell that people gave money in her honor.

On her tribute page, many of her former pupils wrote about how she was the best teacher they ever had.

‘She lived life by loving people and she never concerned about recognition… she was just focused on the love,’ Kevin Waddell said of his wife.

According to her obituary, Waddell had a strong conviction that education should be available to every child.

It also requested that in place of flowers during her funeral, contributions be made to Project Link in the form of either a backpack or monetary gift.

The Forsyth County school system’s Project Connect collects donations of school supplies and distributes them to students in need.

The district then performs an annual event in which teachers personally deliver backpacks to their kids’ homes.

In honor of Waddell, over 130 bags were given to students. Many people believe this was Waddell’s final education experience.

Donating to local schools is the message she would attempt to convey at this time. Johnson argued that the location was irrelevant.

Watch the video below to learn more about Waddell’s life and her commitment to her students.