MARION COUNTY, W.Va. There is an outpouring of sympathy and support on social media in the wake of the Tuesday death of longtime Marion County resident and educator Nelson Elliott. Marion County Schools superintendent Dr. Donna Heston said the employee was very well known and it is a huge loss for the Husky family.
“That day he returned as a retiree to substitute in a math classroom,” Heston said. “You can’t say enough about a pillar of the community, and our hearts go out to the family.”
Heston praised the response by first responders and co-workers who attempted lifesaving measures unsuccessfully.
Elliot taught in Marion County for more than 30 years after graduating from West Virginia University and UC Riverside. Elliott coached several sports, including football, at Fairmont State University.
Current head football coach at Fairmont State University, Jason Woodman, did not know Elliott as a coach there but knew the family and Nelson when he was a student at North Marion High School.
“Nelson and the whole Elliott family in general have meant a lot to our county, Fairmont State University, and North Marion High School,” Woodman said.
Tributes on Elliott’s Facebook page refer to him as a “legend” and a “true class act.” The posts equally praise his passion for coaching and teaching and his skill at both as well.
“There have been a number of people that have reached out and shared stories of the impact this employee had throughout his career as a baseball coach, a football coach, and a math teacher,” Heston said.
Nelson’s brother, Rusty, served as the Director of Athletics at Fairmont State University for 27 years. In February of this year, the Mary Jo and Coach Rusty Elliott Endowed Athletic Scholarship was established to help college athletes complete their college degrees.
“It’s just so sad, and it’s really tough for everybody, especially in the northern part of the county right now; it’s just a tough situation,” Woodman said.