As word is spreading about the death of Pymatuning Valley High School principal Jeff Meddock, the big question being asked by everyone is why?

How can this happen? This is a major loss to his family and everyone associated with Pymatuning Valley schools.

Mr. Meddock was a friend of everyone. He was a volunteer coach with boys basketball team along with his principal duties. He was the No. 1 supporter of everything that students could be involved in and encouraged participation by everyone.

He was the main leader in helping make our students and staff reach the excellent rating by the state department of education.

He said we are getting there, but we will all continue to keep working hard to improve and stay at the top. This was his No. 1 goal and he took pride and joy in it every step of the way.

He always congratulated staff and student’s on jobs well done when it was deserving and would give encouragemnet to do better when needed.

When he left PV a few years ago to work in another school district, there were a lot of broken hearts. When he returned a year later as high school principal, those hearts were no longer broken. Now, those hearts are broken again, with no answer as to why as I write this.

It didn’t matter who you were. If you needed to talk with him, he found time. He showed me his schedule recently and it was meetings everywhere for many different reasons from school to personal. Mostly, school and he was at every school event that he could be around those meetings.

He loved his students at PV and said he would never make the mistake of leaving PV again.

He has left again, but not by choice and it is going to take a long time for everyone to get through this sad situation.

But I can hear him saying, “I helped get PV near the top in many areas but it was the staff and student’s that did it, continue to work hard and many good things will continue to happen, you have my full suport.”

Two weeks ago, we lost former high school principal, James Garland, and now our current principal.

I believe it is safe for me to say, we lost two gentleman who had many of the same ideas, respect of everyone and they respected everyone.

Mr. Meddock’s years at PV were only a few, but he will be remembered the same in many ways as Mr.Garland by the ones who new both.

My wife, Kristen, worked for both and I know she would agree, as will our daughter, Sarah.