Editorial: Honoring Anthony Bateman and John W. Smith

Published 10:00 am Wednesday, August 28, 2019

It’s been a tough start to the new school year for Tift County, as long-time coach and teacher Anthony Bateman and long-time educator John W. Smith passed away only a couple of weeks apart.

A huge crowd of people packed the gym at Tift County High School Saturday Aug. 10, to mourn the loss of Bateman.

Bateman served as assistant coach for the football, track and basketball teams. He earned three state championship rings as assistant basketball coach in 1996, 2014 and 2017.

He worked with the Tift County School System since 1991 and at one point he went 10 years without taking a sick day or vacation. Beyond coaching, Bateman was remembered as a devoted family man.

“It’s hard to capture with pure words what Anthony Bateman was to Tift County High School,” said TCHS Principal Kim Seigler at the funeral. “The plaque on his door said administrative assistant but we all know that he was so much more to our TCHS family.”

“For 28 years he spent his days, nights, weekends and holidays teaching and coaching our students,” said Seigler.

The gym was filled with TCHS faculty, students, graduates and members of the community who knew Bateman.

Even though Bateman did not have any biological children, he treated his students as his own children, said Seigler, and not just the students on his teams but every student that went to school at TCHS.

“He fed them [students], he bought them clothes and supplies, and he gave many of them exactly what they needed, his attention and his love.” said Seigler.

Smith, a family man and golfer in addition to his long career in education, was laid to rest on Aug. 24 after a celebration of life at the Tift County High School Performing Arts Center.

The service focused on Smith’s life of devotion to his family, education and community.

Retired educator and Tift County Board of Education member Marilyn Burks spoke about Smith’s impact from the perspective of a parent.

“He always assured us parents that he really cared about our children,” she said. “He was always a caring teacher first.”

Burks said that while Smith was principal at Reddick he created a culture of lifting kids up, disciplining them without tearing them down and forging relationships with the students.

“Mr. John Smith, historian, educator, principal, board member, was a molder of dreams,” she said. “His voice isn’t audible anymore, but he’s still speaking to me, to you, and to everyone whose lives he touched.”

Both men, Smith and Bateman, made big impacts on our community.

We join the community in honoring them and their legacies.

And while we all honor their memories, we should ask ourselves how we each can continue their tradition of supporting students and giving to our community.