Yukon Teacher's Aide Dies Of COVID Complications

Oklahoma lost another teacher over the weekend due to COVID-related complications. 

Erin Martinez Rhodes spent six years working at Yukon Public Schools -- most recently as a Pre-K aide at Skyview Elementary, according to a statement from the district. 

Her family wrote on a GoFundMe page Sunday:

“Our darling Erin Martinez Rhodes left this earth today at 3:44 p.m. to join our Heavenly Father.“

An outpouring of support on social media followed, calling the loss “heartbreaking.”

She has two young children and a husband who also works at Yukon Schools, according to the GoFundMe page. 

In a Facebook post from September of 2020, Erin wrote that she was concerned about returning to the classroom saying “‘keep our students, teachers and staff in your prayers.”

In the post she said she was working to get her classroom ready to “teach kids to the very best of her ability and love them fully.”

That post was almost a year ago - to the day - to when she passed away of COVID complications. Her family shared that she spent time on a ventilator with a collapsed lung. 

Yukon Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jason Simeroth said in a statement Monday:

“There is no way that we can express the sadness that we have as a district when we lose one of our own.” 

Rhodes is the fifth Oklahoma educator who has died of COVID since July. 

Others are Connie Tatum of Stonewall Public Schools, Teresa Cearley of Grove Public Schools, William ‘Bill’ Bennett, a support staff member in Holdenville, and Peggy Hagerman of Carney Public Schools, whose death was announced last week. 

You can find the GoFundMe for Rhodes' memorial fund by clicking here.