09/09/2026
McEwen High School mourns the loss of a legend.
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Jerry Honea, who passed away yesterday at home, surrounded by his family.
For 23 years, Dr. Honea served as a school administrator at McEwen School/McEwen High School —the longest-serving school administrator in the county’s history (1995-2018).
Dr. Honea led McEwen through a remarkable period of change. He was Principal when McEwen was still a K–12 school, and he guided the school through the transition to three separate schools. During his tenure, enrollment at MHS steadily grew, and so did the Warrior family.
But to know Dr. Honea was to know that being a principal was about much more than numbers, schedules, policies, and paperwork. He was clear, direct, and hard-working. He famously never took a sick day during his entire career. (And if you knew Dr. Honea, you probably aren’t surprised.) He could be tough when he needed to be, but he was also incredibly supportive, empathetic, and—often when you least expected it—pretty darn funny.
Dr. Honea loved many things: America. The Marines. The University of Tennessee. Jeeps. McEwen High School. Honea Holler. And, most of all, his wife, Stacy; his children, John, Mary, and Denise; and his entire family.
He also had another family—the MHS family. And he loved that family fiercely.
For 23 years, Dr. Honea wasn't simply the principal of McEwen. He was McEwen. He was a constant presence in the lives of countless students and employees, and his influence reached far beyond the walls of the school.
Many of us who had the privilege of working with him will remember his leadership, his expectations, his stories, his laugh, his straightforward advice, and probably a few conversations that began with, “When I say 'we,' I mean you.”
We will miss him tremendously.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Stacy, John, Mary, Denise, the rest of the Honea family, and the countless members of Dr. Honea’s MHS family who are grieving this tremendous loss.
Thank you, Dr. H, for 23 years of leading, serving, challenging, supporting, and loving McEwen.
Rest easy, Dr. Honea. Your work here is done. Your Warrior family will carry it forward. ♥️
— McEwen High School
Arrangements:
Join us Friday, September 11, 2026, as we come together to celebrate Dr. Honea’s life and legacy. From 4:00–6:00 PM at McEwen High School, guests are invited to walk through special displays featuring photos and memorabilia from his family, his life in the Marines, his years as an MHS student and administrator, his love of Jeeps, and so much more. At 6:00 PM, we will gather in the auditorium for a special service celebrating and honoring the life and legacy of a man who meant so much to so many.
McEwen Elementary School and McEwen High School will close at 1:00 PM on Friday, September 11, 2026 in order to prepare the facilities for the services for Dr. Honea.
