PSHS Office Secretary Passes Away

Main office secretary for Plymouth South High School, Nicole McKenna, has passed away on February 24, 2021 at the age of fifty-four following a battle with pancreatic cancer which Plymouth South High School officials told Wicked Local News.

After her passing, the school dedicated a whole day dubbed “Purple Day” to promote pancreatic cancer awareness as a way of honoring McKenna as well as a paraeducator who worked for the school, Tina Werner, who also passed away from the disease, which Plymouth South High School officials also told Wicked Local News.

The school’s principal, Patty Fry, told Wicked Local News that students and staff were shocked to hear about the losses.

McKenna was famous for having deep roots within the Plymouth South Community. All five of her children attended and graduated from Plymouth South High School. During their tenure as students, McKenna was involved in the clubs and sports they were affiliated with.

McKenna had also worked in the cafeteria in the past prior to working as a paraeducator in the library. She would later move on to work as a security receptionist. It was only last summer that she transferred to year-round educational secretary position.

Fry told Wicked Local News that McKenna had a positive influence on everyone in the school and that students felt safe and comfortable around her, thus making her a well-liked staff member.

Fry also told Wicked Local News that for Purple Day, students and staff planned to wear purple masks, ribbons, and clothing on Friday to remember both McKenna and Werner. The reason for wearing purple is because the color is associated with pancreatic cancer awareness. However, there were also people who were expected to wear Hawaiian shirts as a way of honoring McKenna, since she was heavily involved in the spirit days held by the school and liked the colorful attire.

In her memory, McKenna’s family had set up a GoFundMe campaign in her memory. The donations will be used to help fund the American Cancer Society and the National MS Society.

As a former student of Plymouth South High School and as someone who knew two of her children, my thoughts and prayers go out to her family and to my beloved Plymouth South community.

Sources used:

Plymouth South honors two educators taken by pancreatic cancer (wickedlocal.com)