Monday, January 31, 2022
Barbara and family:
I am so very sorry to learn of the passing of Sarge and to miss his Celebration of Life. Anne and I offer our condolences and deepest sympathy. There is one word that comes to mind to describe Sarge and that word is HERO! What a life well-lived and life full of service. I really got to know Sarge well the year he coached basketball at E.C. Glass, (as Coach Taylor's assistant. Yes, he coached basketball too!) I was the JV basketball coach and many nights we traveled together to away games in the Western Valley District. He was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and shared many of his previous life experiences and stories with me. I always made sure I sat in the seat with him or across from him to make sure we were able to talk on a bus carrying 2 basketball teams. Wow!! Our conversations went from family, fishing, basketball, and ROTC to school politics, national politics, and Air Force experiences. As a youngster fresh out of college, Sarge shared with me so many lessons on living. I am forever grateful!
One year I was asked to teach an American History class at E.C. Glass and I knew that we had to have Sarge as a guest speaker, (remembering his Air Force stories). When we began to go over WWII, Sarge came in and talked about the role he played as a tail gunner on a B-26 (nicknamed the "Widowmaker"), and the 70 missions he flew over Germany...when the average number of missions before being shot down was 12. You could have heard a pin drop as the students realized they had a real life hero standing in front of them and a leader in our own school's ROTC program.
Sarge's service did not end with the Air Force. He became the "Swiss Army Knife" of Lynchburg Public Schools and E.C. Glass. After starting the ROTC program at Glass and teaching, he also assumed roles as a basketball coach, softball coach, worked with our SPED kids, became an administrative assistant, and was a mentor and friend to so many faculty and staff members. I am happy I was at Glass when ROTC and the school celebrated "Sgt. Mayne Day". Many great leaders are known only by one name. All you had to do was say the name "Sarge" and everyone knew whom you were talking about. He really was a HERO and I am proud to have called him my friend!
Chip Berry
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