COVINGTON, Ga. — Family members expect current and former students of Sandie Albritton to join them in paying their respects during an Oct. 5 memorial service for the Alcovy High School teacher.

Albritton, a math teacher at Alcovy and three other Newton County schools, died Sept. 18 from lung damage caused by COVID-19 after entering the hospital Aug. 23, said her husband, Tim Albritton.

A Celebration of Life ceremony is set for Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at Caldwell & Cowan funeral home at 1215 Access Road in Covington. Visitation with the family is set for 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.

“The response of her students has been amazing,” Albritton said. “Seeing the level of love (for her) has been very healing.”

The family is asking for those attending to wear masks at all times in the building, Albritton said.

Alcovy High School hosted a memorial table for students and staff recently and allowed those remembering her to write “math on a rock” — as Mrs. Albritton often did to help illustrate her favorite phrase, “Math rocks,” he said.

Her lengthy experience as an educator included working at three other schools in the Newton County School System and in other school districts in three states, according to information from the Newton County School System.

Albritton said his wife was fully vaccinated but had a number of other health issues.

The Albrittons were looking forward to the birth of their second grandchild in December, he said.

Mrs. Albritton was “larger than life in most everything she did,” her husband said.

“She constantly had about nine irons in the fire at any one time,” he said

“Anywhere she went, when she walked in a room the room just lit up and she immediately had friends,’ Albritton said. “She had a deep, abiding love for everyone she met.”

The college sweethearts were married for 39 years. Because Tim Albritton was in the Air Force, Sandie and family followed him to assignments in Utah and Texas, Hong other locations.

They also lived the Washington, D.C., area after Tim was hired to work in the communications departments of two presidents, he said.

Along the way, Mrs. Albritton worked in school districts in Utah and Virginia.

After Mr. Albritton's retirement in 2003, the family moved to Georgia to be near his parents in Warner Robins and her parents in Covington.

She then worked in three Georgia school systems before moving to Newton County School System and Clements Middle School, Indian Creek Middle School and Newton County Theme School.

Mrs. Albritton then began work at Alcovy in 2016 and was one of the Senior Class advisors.

“A lot of current and former students have indicated groups of them may be coming (to the service),” Albritton said.

She also served as a coordinator of the school’s Advanced Placement program, which allows students to take college-equivalent courses while in high school.

In addition, she assisted with a suicide awareness nonprofit among other efforts.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/) or the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/), according to an obituary.

A livestream of the service can be viewed at https://www.caldwellandcowan.com. 

“The family requests that if you are unable to wear a face mask, that you attend online. The family is happy to provide this option for those who have health concerns as well,” an obituary stated.