I always called him “Blevins,” and he’d just grin and shoot me back a joke, a story, or a “aren’t you supposed to be class chicken lips??” His funny faces, random noise blurts, practical jokes, and pranks were always the highlight of the day.
My absolute favorite memory though revolves around his ‘ol’ high school wrestling days—He’d always say “I may be fat and old now, but you guys shoulda seen me back in high school I mean I was a S.T.U.D. stud!” he was the stud who got allllll the ladies, and I would always tease him that he had to prove it, and sure enough, one day he brought his yearbook in! He wasn’t lying, I had to concede!
Blevins was full of mischief, jokes, and so much love for his students. I was a hell-on-wheels kind of kid, but we just clicked. He never tried to change me—just made space for me, challenged me, and believed in me.
He was one of the good ones. A beautiful soul, a brilliant teacher, and someone I will truly never forget. I loved him dearly. Rest easy, Blevins.