Valdosta Daily Times

Local News

June 16, 2012

Family, friends pay respects to Christian

Former LHS player killed in Alabama last week

QUITMAN — Family, friends and community members paid their final respects to former Lowndes football standout Ed Christian on Friday at the BTW Funeral Home in Quitman.

Christian, 20, will be laid to rest today in Boston, following a funeral service at Mathis City Auditorium in Valdosta at 1 p.m.

Among the first to pay respects at Friday’s viewing was Lowndes head football coach Randy McPherson and his wife. Soon after, other members of the Lowndes coaching staff arrived, including coaches John Arnold and Danny Redshaw, both of whom coached Christian in football.

Along with coaches, some of Christian’s former teachers paid their respects to the former Viking, who was tragically shot and killed last Saturday while attending a pool party in Auburn, Ala.

“(Ed) was just the most helpful,” said his former U.S. History teacher Maggie Fender. “All students are special, they all are. But the ones that connect with you and those that are willing to take what you want to give them, most aren’t like that, but Ed was. He will always have a special place in my heart.”

Former classmates of Christian’s attended the viewing, including sisters Kakiyah and Keisha Spencer. Although several years older than Christian, Kakiyah said she will always remember the smile that was on Christian’s face and his warm personality.

“I just feel like it was a bad situation and the way it ended was sad,” Spencer said. “I had seen him around school a couple of times and when you see him around the store he was always friendly…He was a good person, a people person. He was very outgoing and he didn’t look down on anybody.”

While known, to many, for his athletic ability on the football field, those like Fender will remember Christian’s personality in the classroom.

“I have a lot of knee troubles,” said Fender, who received a visit from Christian less than a month before the end of the school year. “I am not an athlete but I have had three knee surgeries, so Ed would always help me up out of my seat, help me pass anything out. And if I ever had to go run an errand, Ed was my enforcer. He would watch the door. He was just a gentle giant.”

Former teammates of Christian’s also paid their respects, along with players’ families, like Dorthy Wilkes, the mother of former Viking and current Florida State Seminole Telvin Smith.

“Ed played with my son, Telvin, and they were great friends,” said Wilkes.  “Ed will be missed. He was a great kid. He always had manners and he was a great athlete. It is just a sad situation.”

Desmonte Leonard, 22, was charged with the murder of Christian and two others, on Wednesday in Montgomery, Ala. after he turned himself into authorities on Tuesday night. Leonard also wounded three other men in last Saturday’s shootings, but all three are expected to make recoveries.

Christian was a member of the Lowndes football team during the 2007 state championship season. He was a member of the offensive line known as the ‘Mayflower Movers.’ Christian was named an AJC Super 11 player for his senior season in 2009.

A back injury ended Christian’s football career at Auburn last season, but he was still pursuing a college degree from the university.  According to McPherson, Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik called him earlier this week and told him Christian was “getting into no trouble in Auburn”, and that he was simply in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”

For more on this story and other local news, subscribe to The Valdosta Daily Times e-Edition, or our print edition

Text Only
Local News
  • Easter Seals.jpg Easter Seals benefit Thursday

    Easter Seals Southern Georgia will be hosting “Sweet Charity: Desserts for a Cause” Thursday at Mathis Auditorium. The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. and will include several local restaurants serving dessert as well as a silent auction.

    June 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • police-lights-backgrounds-for-powerpoint.jpg Dollar General robbed at gunpoint

    A customer and two employees were unharmed during a Sunday evening robbery as two masked men demanded cash from registers and the business’ safe as the Dollar General on Bemiss Road prepared to close at around 11:30 p.m., according to reports from the Valdosta Police Department.

    June 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • overpass1 copy.jpg Overpass work causes detours

    All vehicles which are not making a delivery in the immediate vicinity of the new overpass will have to find alternate routes immediately.

    June 18, 2013 1 Photo

  • AR - Merita W. 02 copy.jpg Crossing guard keeping kids safe

    Meet Merita Williams, crossing guard.

    June 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • 120623_juneteenth1 copy.jpg Juneteenth’s coming

    Held in just as high a regard as the celebration of our country’s independence to many, the county’s annual Juneteenth dinner returns this Tuesday at 7 p.m. for its 21st year and will offer citizens of all races with a central point to celebrate human rights.

    June 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • preacherbook1 copy.jpg A soldier called preacher

    In Vietnam, Wesley Harrell spread the Lord’s word among his fellow soldiers. He spoke of God often though few seemed to listen until they encountered war’s sudden death.

    June 16, 2013 1 Photo

  • 130615 100 Black men 01 copy.JPG History on the move

    In the right hands, a divided house can again mount a sound foundation and settle into a new era, as proved on Saturday when the 100 Black Men of Valdosta unveiled a transplanted house that’ll likely serve as their headquarters at its Martin Luther King Jr. Drive location.

    June 16, 2013 1 Photo

  • summer safety logo.jpg Beach Safety: Keeping safe with fun in the sun

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second story in a weekly series on summer safety.

    June 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • 130614-community depot003 copy.jpg Ribbon cutting held for Joan Bailey Center

    The Community Depot has opened the doors of its newest non-profit retail center, which was dedicated Friday to and named in honor of former Valdosta State University First Lady Joan Bailey.

    June 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • KJ4.jpg Kendrick Johnson’s body exhumed

    The family of a deceased Lowndes High School student had his body exhumed Friday morning from Sunset Hills Cemetery as relatives continue the process of acquiring a second autopsy.

    June 15, 2013 1 Photo

Top News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
Poll

Should the government have access to your phone, emails?

Yes, always.
No, never.
Only in times of national emergency.
     View Results