School & District Management

‘Amazing Cook’ for Austin, Texas, Schools Dies From Coronavirus

April 08, 2020 2 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A food service worker from the Austin Independent School District has died after contracting coronavirus, district officials announced. 

Known by colleagues and friends for her sense of humor and laughter, Patricia “Pati” Hernandez, 51, a cook at Casis Elementary School, tested positive for coronavirus and died at an area hospital last week. The district announced her passing to local media on Monday. 

Hernandez had worked in the Austin schools since 2002, and at Casis Elementary School for the last 10 years. 

In a letter to parents, Casis Principal Samuel Tinnon said, “Pati was considered a loyal, faithful, and hardworking individual–who found great joy in serving the students of our school and district.” 

“Ms. Hernandez will be greatly missed, and our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to her family and loved ones,” Tinnon wrote, according to a copy of the letter posted on the local ABC television affiliate’s news website. 

District officials have said they cannot confirm Hernandez’s cause of death, but the Austin American Statesman reported that local health officials declared Hernandez as the fourth victim in Travis County to die from coronavirus.  

Austin school district officials did not return requests for comment. 

See Also: Educators We’ve Lost to the Coronavirus

Hernandez’s friends remembered her spirit and passion for her job in a digital eulogy. 

Ruth Ann Garza, food services manager at Casis elementary, recalled starting her workday for about seven years every morning over coffee with Hernandez. The two would talk about family, friends and “things we wanted to do while we prepared food at school.” 

“Patricia was my teacher, I learned a lot of things from her, she had a great sense of humor, she would laugh at my jokes if they weren’t that funny but always laughing. Patricia was an amazing cook, everything she made was great, she made a great chicken salad! 

“We were co-workers but most of all we were friends.”

Another person who commented on the digital eulogy said Hernandez was “always smiling and laughing and telling jokes.” 

“She loved all of her kids equally and was kind enough to let me into her home and accept me without question. She was a beautiful person and I know she will be missed.” 

Laura Copeland, a lunchroom monitor at Casis elementary, said in the remarks posted online that Hernandez had a “contagious laugh that I looked forward to every day.” 

“I am going to miss seeing her once school starts; always smiling. Miss you, Patricia! You’re looking down on all of us.”

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Webinar Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Achievement Webinar
Student Success Strategies: Flexibility, Recovery & More
Join us for Student Success Strategies to explore flexibility, credit recovery & more. Learn how districts keep students on track.
Content provided by Pearson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Do Students Suffer When a Superintendent Leaves? A New Study Has an Answer
A new study is the first in a while to explore how students fare academically when there's turnover in the district's top office.
5 min read
A man places his hand on top of his head as he looks up at an upwardly pointing arrow turning downward as it turns a corner.
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management What Latino Superintendents Say It Will Take to Grow Their Ranks
Three Latino superintendents talked about the direct and indirect paths to building a pipeline of future district leaders of color.
4 min read
Vector image of many professionals, diversity, highlighting hispanic.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Your School Needs a Teacher-Mentorship Program
We all know how critical the first few years of teaching are. Here's how to set teachers up for success.
Pamela Slifer
4 min read
Mentorship development of young teachers. School leaders make the teaching profession more sustainable by developing a robust mentoring program in their school.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management School Leaders Rush to Manage Deportation Fears
School and district leaders describe a chaotic time amid changes to federal immigration policies.
9 min read
A line of school children with obscured faces board a school bus on their way to school.
E+/Getty