Students remember Ocean Springs High School teacher Kennon Barton

Community members gathered outside Ocean Springs High School to remember Kennon Barton, a teacher who died in a wreck yesterday.

Student Brooks Saucier said, “I don’t know anybody that just didn’t like him. To me he is the coolest dude ever, like he cared for everybody, all the students, everybody cared for him.”

In Ocean Springs, a community of students and teachers are grieving after the tragic loss of an educator, husband, father, and friend. Student Xavier Reichbaum said, “I was going through a hard time at the time and while everybody was just talking amongst themselves doing their own thing, Mr. Barton, I think could see that I was going through pain and he came back and made it a point to talk to me in the very back of the classroom. And make me feel welcomed and supported and comfortable.”

Kennon Barton was a beloved musician and teacher whose impact stood out amongst the rest, as he was awarded the educator impact award from Keesler Federal Credit Union for this past year. He was given this honor due to his ability to inspire students to dream. “Oh, it’s like I just always keep working, you know, like he was always like, super like he would always inspire us to just keep doing what we wanted to do. Like just things like that. I always worked harder.”

Barton’s legacy will continue to live on through the hearts of many Greyhound students. “Passing by his class is going to be different.”

“He just taught us to love people no matter what. I’m really going to miss him.”