Rollan Edwards had been retired from his longtime position as principal of Garden City Elementary School for nearly three decades when his life ended tragically in a violent incident Monday night. But the impressions he made on students and in the community continued to live on, even as he stayed in touch with his school roots by substitute teaching in his spare time.

“I didn’t know Rollan personally, but every principal, teacher, and anyone else who has a connection to our schools has told me how much he will be missed,” said Cullman County Schools superintendent Shane Barnette on Wednesday.

“He was still doing some substitute teaching in our schools, and in talking with people since his death, I haven’t heard anyone say a single negative word about him. Everybody I’ve asked has said only wonderful things about Mr. Edwards. When you think about it — to be in your 70s, and that far removed from an education career — to come back and still enjoy being around the kids, that says a lot about you.”

Former Garden City student Jennilynne Walker-Rice may have attended the now-defunct school all the way back in the 1980s, but a fortuitous turn of events in the recent past put her back in contact with Edwards — one of her favorite school personalities. Walker-Rice, who ended up attending the same church as Edwards in Huntsville, says he’s one of those memorable figures who had a welcoming demeanor toward everyone, and he supported his good will not only with words, but with actions.

“Everybody loved Mr. Edwards…everybody,” she said Wednesday. “I began attending church with him in Huntsville about five or six years ago, and my son and my daughter thought the world of him. He found out we needed a laptop computer, because I home school my children — and he found a way to come up with a laptop for us. He would do whatever it took to make sure our children — not just mine, but children in general — had a bright future.”

Edwards’ giving spirit brought him close to many people from all walks of life over the years. A member of the United Church of Huntsville, Edwards overcame age-related health issues to make the hour-long drive to worship services from his home in the Prospect community in Cullman County, and his dedication made the same impression on worshippers in Huntsville as it had done, over the years, in Cullman.

“He was very supportive of the church, and of the kids in the church. Even outside of that, he did a lot of service. He even went to Guatemala and taught English — not through us, but through a separate organization — and it really reflects what a kind and gentle soul he always was. He was all about helping people, and in a way, I believe that may be how he actually came into contact with the suspect [charged with Edwards’ murder].”

Edwards, 75, was one of two men who died in a violent incident Monday evening at a residence in the Prospect community in southern Cullman County. Thomas Frank DeWille, 76, of Owens Cross Roads also lost his life in the alleged attack. A third local man, 48 year-old Jody Jay Tudor, was also injured. Facing two counts of murder in relation to the deaths is Matthew LeWayne Clayton, 30, who lived at a separate residence near the alleged victims.

“I’ll be honest: It really emotionally moved me seeing him there when I first started going to church in Huntsville,” said Walker-Rice. “My parents passed away within a month of each other in 1993, and as I’ve grown older, I’ve always looked for things that connected me back to home. Finding Mr. Edwards again was like finding that big missing piece. He remembered my mother and father, and he would tell me stories about them — and my children would get to hear the stories about all the trouble I got into at Garden City, too,” she said with a laugh.

“He was a wonderful man. It just hasn’t really sunk in yet that he’s not here anymore.”

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 145.