He was a pastor to some, a coach to others, and an encourager to many.
Those who knew longtime Columbus resident Tony McClendon paint a multi-faceted picture of a man of many hats and one overriding virtue: gentleness, especially to those facing frustration, struggle or apparent failure. He died Thursday afternoon at age 66.
One of his most visible roles was as multicultural diversity director for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. But he also was active in Christian ministry for years, including a stint from 2014 to 2018 as pastor of Faith Ministries in Columbus. Plus, the former Dartmouth College football player served as a football and track coach through the years with area schools and youth programs such as the Police Athletic League.
“He was like a father figure to me,” said former Columbus resident Destrey Brown Jr., who played football under McClendon’s coaching at Central Middle School more than 20 years ago but remained in close contact with him. “What’s amazing is that I can never remember him raising his voice to us. He was the most gentle man I ever met.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
