COVINGTON, Ga. - Kevin Marshall may be gone, but his impact in the community remains.
Marshall was a 2018 graduate of Newton County High School, where, even after graduation, he continued to be an active member of the athletic department. He helped on the sidelines during football and basketball games as well as wrestling matches, serving as a manager for the team.
“I think I saw some encouragement from the players to be more responsible in their roles because they saw how responsible Kevin was and how reliable Kevin was in his role,” Tommy Gregory, NCHS wrestling head coach and football assistant coach, said.
Gregory has known Marshall since his years at Liberty Middle School, where he spent mornings at the car rider line. Even if it was hot or freezing, Gregory remembered Marshall always being there with him. They would sing gospel hymns, laugh and pretend to be deacons before Gregory had to instruct Marshall to go to class.
“That’s the first memory that hit me,” Gregory said. “Almost every day he was out there.”
To Gregory, Marshall was “his guy.”
Shannon Buff, NCHS principal, remembered Marshall being “one of the most kind, sweet young man that you could ever possibly meet.”
Marshall will be remembered for his kindness, his smile and his helping hand. His mother, Robbie Marshall, wanted people to remember Kevin by the smile he always had on his face.
“And he always liked to hug,” Robbie said.
Robbie shared the poem she wrote for her son:
A son, a brother, a friend:
All the roles in his life he fulfilled to the perfect extent
Although his life cut too short
His energy and spirit live on in all of us
And to those closer to him, he was there
Any time, day or night
As a shoulder to cry on or just a helping hand
He shined a radiant and positive light
From the heart, he was caring, generous and lovingly kind
Not one act of selfishness ever crossed his mind
Things he loved: family, friends, basketball
And of course, food
If he’s around, it’s impossible to not be in a good mood
Well known for his local community with every mile traveled
He touched more lives than we realize
So let us not only remember him
But celebrate the life that was shared
And to Kevin, all the love you left behind will forever live on
So until we meet again, rest peacefully
Friend, brother and son
“He always told me that he loved me and he would be here for me,” Robbie said.
Marshall had future plans to become a preacher, according to his mother. If he had his headphones on, he was always listening to gospel music and sermons.
“Now my Kevin is gone,” Robbie said, “and he’s going to be preaching and praising all day long in the Heavenly.”
Pastor K. Francis Smith, of Excel Church in Conyers, saw Marshall on Tuesdays for bible study. He will remember Marshall for his “really good soul.”
“I like to remember his smile and he had a golden heart,” Smith said. “He would do anything you needed him to do.”
Smith said that Marshall was a “harmless guy” and “didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Marshall passed away on Thursday, July 4 after being struck by a vehicle, driven by Joshua Anderson. Anderson, who has been on the run since the incident, is wanted by the NCSO for malice murder.
Marshall’s friends, family and Covington community will continue to remember the impact he made and the smiles he shared.
