TCAT-McKenzie instructor dies from COVID-19 complications

McKENZIE, Tenn. — COVID-19 has claimed the life of a beloved educator in West Tennessee.

Faculty and students at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at McKenzie are mourning the loss of HVAC instructor Terry Wilson.

“Everyone here is in shock. It hits close to home. He was a young man,” Dr. Bradley White, TCAT-McKenzie president, said.

Wilson tested positive for coronavirus during winter break. On Jan. 3, at just 49-years-old, Wilson died from complications of the virus.

“Before we could get back, it was COVID-related pneumonia, and he passed away,” White said.

Co-workers say Wilson was one of the best in his field. Wilson and his students won competitions at the state and national level thanks to Wilson’s leadership.

“He walked around as ‘The General.’ He was the one that everyone knew was going to go, and he was going to take his students and they were going to be the best in the state,” said Zak Crider, a fellow instructor at TCAT-McKenzie.

“If you wanted a recommendation from Terry? If you got that recommendation, that was as good as it got,” White said.

The school put out Wilson’s vest for display, showing just how successful he was, and that success showed fellow instructors what they could do.

“He was about bettering, not just himself and his students, but the surroundings around him as well. He was a mentor to me. He caused me to improve my shop,” welding instructor David Earley said.

“It wasn’t just about the parts, it was about the science. That was what really impressed me about him,” White said.

Wilson’s legacy won’t end with his death, though.

He recently made renovations to the HVAC instruction room, and it will give future students all the tools they need to succeed.

“Every time I’d go down there, he’d show me something new that he had done or was going to do, something he was gonna add to it,” White said.

“He was passionate about what he did, but he was passionate about what the school was doing too,” Earley said.

“I think I can say Terry is one of a kind. He will be missed. He is missed,” White said.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family to help cover certain expenses. If you’d like to donate, click here.