Coronavirus Kills Georgia College President, Funeral Wednesday
CLARKESVILLE, GA — Private funeral services will be held Wednesday for Dr. Mark Ivester, the 57-year-old president of North Georgia Technical College who died over the weekend from COVID-19.
"We have lost a true leader and friend who absolutely loved North Georgia Technical College, and our college community is still in shock over his passing," Amy Hulsey, vice president of college and community relations for the school, said to Patch. "We all admired his professionalism and deep desire to advance our college while keeping friendships and community relationships an important part of his core values. We will miss him terribly.
His funeral will be held held at First Baptist Church of Toccoa and livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page starting at 11 a.m.
Tributes to Ivester, a Stephens County native, poured in from throughout Georgia.
“He was one of the good ones and it will be hard to fill his shoes,” said former State Rep. Dan Gasaway as reported by Now Habersham in Clarkesville.
“So many hearts are broken,” former NGTC president Dr. Ruth Nichols wrote under the Facebook post announcing Ivester’s passing. “Just thank God for all the lives that were by him, his life and his work!”
Gov. Brian Kemp tweeted Monday that he and his family were praying for Ivester’s family, colleagues and community. “We ask God to give them all comfort in this difficult time,” he said.
Ivester was named president of NGTC in 2016 and had served the college in various capacities for 17 years before that.
According to the Habersham County news website, Ivester was already in quarantine when he was diagnosed with COVID-19 because other family members had tested positive. He became ill on Aug. 5, went into the hospital on Aug. 16 and never returned home.
Ivester died late Saturday in the intensive care unit at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton. He’s survived by his parents, wife, four children and two grandchildren.
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This article originally appeared on the Cartersville Patch
