35-year-old middle-school teacher collapses in front of students, dies suddenly

'He seemed fine, and everything seemed fine'

By Jack Davis, The Western Journal
Published January 22, 2023 at 5:09pm

A Texas middle school teacher collapsed in front of his class and died earlier this month.

Staff members conducted CPR on Jacob Sanchez, 35, who was a coach and teacher at Devine Middle School in San Antonio, according to KSAT-TV.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office later reported that Sanchez died of a heart attack.

Principal Kandi Darnell said that she was talking with Sanchez not long before he died.

“He seemed fine, and everything seemed fine,” she said.

Darnell said Sanchez had a strong rapport with his students.

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“He was a kid’s teacher, I’ll put it that way. He took time out to connect with the kids,” she said.

Rebecca Powe, Sanchez’s widow, issued a statement in his memory.

“My honey was the light of our lives. He kept our family on our toes, constantly going, and always laughing. We shared a beautiful life together. He loved us with his whole heart and loved his life. He was dedicated to the community of Devine and the kids were his motivation every day,” she said.

Devine Middle School posted a tribute to Sanchez on its Facebook account.

“We lost a friend, colleague, and just a good man today. Jacob was the kind of person who would do anything to help out others. He was a kids’ teacher. He worked hard to connect with all of our kids not just our athletes. Our kids are going to have a tough time, but our DMS family will be there to help our kids as well as each other,” Darnell posted.

“On a personal level I feel as if I’ve lost a son. I’ve known Jacob since he was little. He and my son were in the same class. I taught Jacob. As a principal I counted on Jacob to help with some of our tougher customers. I would get him to talk to them," she wrote.

She said Sanchez "was one of the first ones to volunteer to chaperone dances, field trips etc… He would do anything for the kids. There will be a big void in our hearts. Pray for his family, our kids, and our community. RIP Jacob."

According to an obituary in the Devine News, "Jacob had a love for the beach. In the summer he would take his family down for weeks at a time to stay in their camper. He woke early and plotted their day of fishing. He was always after the biggest catch."

"Throughout Jacob’s life his love for people shined through in many ways. He initiated a few projects to help his community, mowing yards for those who couldn’t do for themselves and collecting shoes for students in need. He would often have snacks available in his classroom and sneak in food for his students and buy tacos and doughnuts for his colleagues," the obituary said.

"He was the kind of guy that made you feel like you mattered, no matter what your background was. Jacob would tell you if you were in the wrong and how to turn it around. He believed in supporting one another, however possible."

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

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