Gene Hammonds, D 49 transportation director, was shot and killed Feb. 14, as he left his home in Denver for his job at D 49 in Falcon. The NFH would like to extend our sympathies to the D 49 staff and Mr. Hammondís family.
This is a poignant time of year for me. Thirty years ago this month, my brother was swept off the deck of a crab boat near our hometown in Alaska. The darkness of his loss was partly tempered by warmth and care as our small town gathered to mourn and remember. This month, our family in District 49 suffered a similar and equally sudden tragedy. Through senseless violence, Gene Hammond ó our ìTransportation Guyî ó passed on from a life of deep commitments and even deeper affections.At the service, where fellow U.S. Marines presented Geneís family with a folded flag and remembered him with solemn military honors, a throng of family, friends and colleagues shared memories of his zest for life and his inexhaustible friendliness and wry humor. The courage Gene displayed through serving his country was only matched by his enthusiasm for the family he loved and the colleagues who became great friends. As the leader of our transportation department, Gene was a relentless advocate for more and safer equipment and the resources to hire needed drivers to cover our expanding system of routes. He showed great wisdom and leadership in leading the state fight to make safe driving around school buses a higher priority. If you fixed or drove or rode on one of his buses, you got Geneís absolute best every time.Thatís why so many of his team, from mechanics and dispatchers to drivers and the paraprofessionals, were determined to travel to Fort Logan National Cemetery and honor Geneís memory. The problem was, military funerals at a large national cemetery have to be scheduled when space and staff are available, and that schedule was smack in the middle of our busiest afternoon carpool. We couldnít change the schedule. We couldnít abandon our students. We couldnít ask the team he led to miss Geneís service. The problem seemed unsolvable ó until the phone started to ring and the email started to chime.You see, in his years with District 49, Gene extended his hand to counterparts around our community. Many mornings he would check in with the leaders of District 11 or District 20 to see how they were handling a tough weather situation or a badly clogged commute. He had District 38 and District 2 on speed dial. Gene was a role model of open communication and early notification. He knew that a big network leads to better decisions. So, when his extended team of transportation leaders heard about our scheduling impasse, they picked up the phone and acted just like Gene.Friends like Josy and David in Harrison 2; Tom, Jim, and Cindy in Academy 20; Karen and Mark from Lewis-Palmer, 38, didnít need to be asked. They offered their drivers, dispatchers and mechanics to care for our kids. So many districts and volunteers responded with support that all who could were able to pay their respects at Geneís memorial gathering. To cover liability and manage the costs of hiring backup drivers, we created an inter-district agreement to cover the costs. But none of our neighbors remembered to send us a bill. They just sent us the drivers and mechanics and care that we needed.Itís said that a candle shines out brightest against the darkest night. That has been my personal experience, and now itís part of our district legacy as well. As part of a larger collection of school districts from El Paso County, we are proud to compete with quality districts around our community. We want to learn and perform and earn the business of our parents ó and so do they. But when tragedy intruded, it was heartwarming to see how the heart of our neighbors showed up and shone out. Those of us who called Gene ìour guyî say ìThank you.î For your care and quick response, ìThank you.î For showing our staff and our students what compassion can look like between colleagues and communities, ìThank You.î Your care and support are and echo of the qualities that make us miss Gene so much.
