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The Booth Middle School community is mourning the loss of longtime teacher and coach Dave Edinger, known to generations of students as Coach Ed, who died at his own hand on Tuesday morning near the school campus.
Edinger, 67, was a science teacher and basketball coach with more than four decades in education. His wife, Sandy Edinger, also a Booth Middle School science teacher, described him as “the best person I’ve ever known … so respected and admired by everybody in this community.”
“He’s touched so many lives,” Sandy Edinger said. “His students from fifteen, twenty years ago are still in touch with him. He’s just a giver. He gives to everybody of himself.”
A lifetime of teaching and coaching
Dave Edinger began his teaching career in Tennessee before moving to Georgia, where he taught at Eagle’s Landing High School and later in Fayette County. For the last two decades he taught science and coached basketball at Booth Middle School, recently leading the girls’ team to a victory Monday night, the day before his death.
He had planned to retire next year after more than forty years in the classroom. “We were scheduled to meet with the retirement people in January to see if it was feasible,” his wife said. “We had our son’s wedding coming up. We had so many things we were excited about.”
Faith, family, and community
Married 24 years, Dave and Sandy Edinger taught side by side for much of their careers. “For eight years we both taught eighth-grade science next door to each other,” she said. “The kids loved the Edingers. … Even though, when he would kiss me as he walked out the door, the class would go, ‘Ew!’ He always made me feel that special.”
The couple blended their families—his two daughters, Blair and Taylor, and her two sons, Chad and Preston—into what Sandy called “each other’s second chances.” She recalled how Edinger helped raise her youngest son from the age of one and stayed close with all five grandchildren.
“He never treated my boys like they weren’t his,” she said. “He’s a very loving person. He loves his daughters, he loves his grandchildren, he loves everybody.”
Neighbors described similar kindness. “He took those little boys next door under his wing, brought them telescopes, went to their ball games,” she said. “That’s just how he is. He sees something that needs to be done, and he does it.”
An educator who built people up
Known for handwritten notes and mentoring sessions, Edinger was the teacher who often sent words of encouragement long after students had left his class. His wife said that even in college, former students texted him for advice. One message she found read:
“Always remember you’re stronger than you seem, braver than you believe, smarter than you think … failure is always around the corner. It is waiting for you, so don’t be afraid. Embrace it. Fall forward. Find the lesson—that’s how all of us grow.”
“He was always in search of wisdom,” she said. “He loved books, especially history and biographies. He was funny with the kids, but he also pushed them to see what they were capable of doing.”
A man of faith and service
Sandy Edinger described her husband in his obituary as “a person of deep faith who lived out his faith in action.”
His fellow teachers were often the recipients of Dave’s extraordinary thoughtfulness and care. He took time to mentor teachers and coaches, and had their deep respect. He was even named Teacher of the Year at Booth Middle.
Left with so many questions
Sandy Edinger had no inkling that her husband was depressed. He had faced some painful health challenges since he was diagnosed with Covid and nearly died several years ago. His experience revealed a dangerous blood condition that required painful infusions each month. He also suffered from arthritis. Some of his health conditions were listed in a note that he left, that Sandy was not able to read fully before the police temporarily took it as evidence.
Sandy says that she believes what happened to him must have had something to do with medications he was taking for his conditions, because all of this was so completely out of character for him.
His fellow teachers are also so very surprised by this week’s events. “Our staff are all as shocked by this out of character action as I am,” said Sandy.
Remembering Coach Ed
Visitation for Dave Edinger will be held Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mowell Funeral Home in Peachtree City. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for “a written shared memory or inspiration, because that’s what he was to so many people.”
“He’s a huge loss for our community,” Sandy Edinger said. Sandy wants Coach Ed’s past and current students, colleagues and friends to have a chance to share their memories with her.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day.
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