Jerry Wayne "Coach" Covington

Jerry Wayne "Coach" Covington, 80, of Sour Lake, Texas, died Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Houston Methodist Hospital. He was born on January 14, 1944, to Effie Lee Jones Covington and Francis Covington in Meridian, Mississippi, and was a United States Marine Corps veteran.
While dad was growing up in Meridian, where he was active in sports, he developed lasting and loving friendships that he carried throughout his life. After his military service he located to Beaumont, Texas and became a Beaumont City Firefighter while attaining his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Lamar University. He then began a 40+ year career in private and public education while coaching football, basketball, and track at Kelly High School, South Park High School and West Brook High School. Dad was passionate about being a coach so that he could help kids in the same way that his coaches growing up had helped him. His students and players were a part of some of his proudest memories. Many of his students continued to maintain a relationship with "Coach" long after he retired.
Throughout his adult life, there wasn't a person he met that didn't earn a nickname from him. He had friends scattered throughout the area that knew "Coach" and had wonderful crazy stories about their version of his relationship with them. Dad loved to send cards to everyone he knew, with little poems written in them or maybe a note or a set of stickers he thought they or their kids might like. He loved to work in his yard and took such pride in the trees and plants he put in the ground and nursed them with love to watch them grow.
His survivors include his children, Kelly Covington and wife, Paola, of Bossier City, Louisiana; Jesse Covington and wife, Samantha, of Austin; Kathryn Covington Cole and husband, Monte, of Canyon Lake; grandchildren, Elijah Cole, Kennedy Covington, Hudson Covington, and Theresa Covington; siblings, Michael Covington and wife, Renee, Barbara Pope, and Suzzon Covington; niece, Lauren Figard and husband, Daniel; nephew, Johnny Pope and wife, KaAnne; niece, Tiffany Pope; niece, Brookly Rosen and husband, John; nephew, Kevin Rhodes, and numerous great-nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Joseph Covington; sister, Patricia McLelland; and his beloved, Grandma Hannah.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Southeast Texas, 2050 Spindletop Avenue, Beaumont, Texas 77705 donate online; the ASPCA Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929 donate online; or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105 donate online.
A gathering of Coach Covington's family and friends will begin at 5:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, May 3, 2024, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 225 West Barkley, Sour Lake. His cremation arrangements will be handled through Broussard's Crematorium, under the direction of Broussard's, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont.
Semper Fi