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Beloved Spalding County coach and father loses battle with COVID-19

By Tom Jones, WSB-TV
By Tom Jones, WSB-TV

GRIFFIN, Ga. — A Spalding County community is mourning the loss of a beloved coach and educator. Coach Bart Pinckney died after a two month battle with COVID-19.

The virus managed to touch all of the members of the Pinckney family. Pinckney, his wife and two children were all fighting the virus at the same time. Sadly, he was the only family member who didn’t win his fight with the virus.

“You know, he just couldn’t bounce back,” Gemia Pinckney said.

Gemia Pinckney said her husband, a Griffin High School math teacher and coach, was a fighter. He spent two months in the hospital battling the virus.

“He never made it home,” Gemia Pinckney said.

Since the recent passing of Bart Pinckney, there has been an outpouring of love and support from the community.

“He lived for the kids. He loved children,” Gemia Pinckney said.

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Current and past students have been honoring the legacy of Bart Pinckney.

“He was like a father,” former student Dearius Cobb said.

Cobb credits Bart Pinckney with pushing him to be a better person and to reach for his goals. Cobb is now on the track team at his college.

“Coach, I did it. I did it just to see you and my mom happy,” Cobb said of his accomplishments in college.

Bart Pinckney’s fight was much more difficult. Along with COVID-19, he also contracted pneumonia. In fact, the entire Pinckney family contracted pneumonia while fighting the virus.

Gemia Pinckney believes her husband may have got the virus from a sick co-worker. She asked that people continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

“I don’t even know how life will ever be the same,” she said.

The funeral for Bart Pinckney will be held at Griffin Memorial Stadium on Feb. 27 at 2 p.m.

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Cox Media Group

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