Jill Greene Roach

Jill was one of a kind. She was the Teacher and Principal I worked with in the classroom and in the office for many years. She was a friend and my neighbor. She definitely impacted so many children and families thru the years. Jill had a natural way of calming and making people feel better in a difficult situation. We enjoyed so many funny, sad and trying moments. I was blessed to have known her. Prayers for peace and comfort for all of her family.
Sibby Cooper

She was a lovely woman, and she treated me well. I knew her one year, and was lucky to have met her. From the moment she first introduced herself to me when we toured Aycock, I felt her kindness like a warm hug. She made me want to be there. At the time, she was a principal, and at every turn, she chatted with me. One time, she got me involved with a school board activity (having input on a school calendar), drove me home afterward, and sat chatting with me in the driveway for a while. I don't remember all the details of our conversation, but I do remember feeling special. That was almost thirty years ago now.

May her family and friends find peace during this difficult time.

It’s hard to find the words that will sum her up and what she meant to me and so many others, but I will try. While most of you knew her as Mrs. Roach, I knew her as Gigi. Some of my earliest memories take place at her house on Brookshire Avenue, although sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s a real memory and what are stories from my infancy or toddler years that she would tell time and time again to anyone who would listen. That being said, the excitement of books is what remains unmistakably vivid in my mind.

It’s probably no surprise that Gigi loved books and loved teaching. For my brothers, my cousins, and me, we had our hands on books and our ears listening to their words before we could even form words ourselves. Gigi had a lively and engaging way of reading these stories to us, using funny voices and a rhythmic cadence. I remember all of us sitting around while Gigi read from one of her many children’s books lining her shelves—her many Mother Goose Rhymes collections, anything Dr. Seuss, or a crowd favorite, The Gruffalo.

Because of my early exposure to it, learning to read always felt natural, something fun and exciting. Gigi’s bookshelves became my personal library, and I loved going to her house to pick through her seemingly endless supply and devour every book I could. She fostered in me a love for reading that I carry with me to this day. In school, English was always my favorite subject, and I even ended up minoring in it in college. My genuine love and appreciation for learning is something I owe to her, and it remains one of my favorite qualities about myself.

Something I will also always think of when I think of Gigi is her beautiful handwriting. Her handwriting looked like it had been typed, and she also had gorgeous calligraphy. I think that’s why I took an interest in perfecting my own handwriting, carefully gliding the pencil into perfect script. She had an endless amount of pens (I mean endless) in every color you can think of that I loved to use. It’s kind of silly, but it’s a simple thing that I always connect with her. I’m thankful to have years and years of handwritten birthday and Christmas cards to remember this by.

Notably, Gigi had a 38-year career in education and a remarkable legacy in Kannapolis City Schools. I can’t even fathom how many people she impacted over the years. She had a long career before I entered school, but I have the fondest memories of her being my principal at Forest Park Elementary up until the third grade. I remember sitting in my classrooms when the school board would come by to visit. After being told that Mrs. Roach was my grandmother, I felt like a celebrity.

My brothers and I used to stay after school with Gigi a lot during those years when she was our principal, and one of my favorite memories of her took place during one of those afternoons. Gigi would often have to stay a couple of hours after school ended to finish up work, so my brothers and I would play in the hallways and run around like kids do. On this particular day, we were doing just that, when suddenly Gigi turned off all the lights and came over the intercom with a scary, deep voice. I don’t even remember what she said, but my brothers and I screamed at the top of our lungs and sprinted down the hall to her office. We were scared to death. It sounds a bit cruel looking back, but it was all in good fun. And if you knew Gigi, you know she had a playful sense of humor.

When we were kids and my brothers and I went to the store with her, we knew it would be a long trip because we couldn’t go anywhere without her stopping to talk with a former student, parent, or teacher. And it wouldn’t be a brief chat either. It’s impressive that no matter how many years had passed or how many thousands of students she had taught, she would always remember their name. Even though I was her granddaughter, I truly feel like she treated each and every student as though they were her own. I remember how the other children at school gathered around and hugged her, and she hugged them back with a smile.

It’s difficult to measure the impact that Gigi had on my life, and I’m sure many others feel the same. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that not everyone has someone so invested in their learning and so skilled at educating from such a young age, and how deeply that can shape a person. I feel very lucky to have learned from the best. I think a lot of people don’t take children seriously, but Gigi knew that children needed to be seen and heard, and she did everything in her power to do that. She never made you feel small. With her, you felt like you could do anything.

I’m now 24, but I still have friends and peers who remember her all the way from third grade and earlier, ask me about her, and tell me how much they loved her. I know her reach went far beyond my own years, and it makes me happy knowing she is remembered and has impacted so many. It’s hard to overstate not only how amazing of an educator and advocate for children she was, but also how incredible she was as a person. She was truly one of the hardest-working people I have ever known and had a true passion for what she did.

Again, she was not only a skillful and talented teacher and principal. She was an incredible person, wife, mother, grandmother, cousin, sister, friend, and everything in between. After she retired, she remained deeply involved in her church and her community, and spent a lot of time with us, her grandchildren. She never met a stranger, and we would be introduced one by one to each of her friends at every church event I attended. You could always tell how proud she was of her grandchildren, and I hope she knew how proud we were to have her as our grandmother. Her home was a second home to me, and she helped my brothers and me through some tough times. I will always be grateful, not only for the stability she gave us during those moments, but for the everlasting gift she gave us through knowledge and its pursuit. She was truly special, a one-of-a-kind person, and I will miss and love her forever.

I want to end with a poem from one of her favorite authors, Shel Silverstein, from a collection she adored and eventually gave a copy of to me. I think it truly captures the way she saw the world and lived her life—through the eyes of a child.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
and before the street begins,
and there the grass grows soft and white,
and there the sun burns crimson bright,
and there the moon-bird rests from his flight
to cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
and the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow
and watch where the chalk-white arrows go
to the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes, we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
and we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
for the children, they mark, and the children, they know,
the place where the sidewalk ends.

Mrs. Roach was my elementary school principal from kindergarten through 5th grade at Forest Park Elementary. She was a role model for excellence. She would model expectations for her students at any time. She made coming to school fun and exciting. Mrs. Roach always greeted her students with a smile and encouraged us to always do our best. She would regularly joke about boogers being on the wall in the hallway as we liked to run our fingers along the grooves of the cinderblocks. When she learned of my becoming an educator and returning to Forest Park, she encouraged me to do my best! She offered to come and help me in any way whether it be to read to my class, or to help tutor students in need of extra support. I am thankful to have had the privilege to know her as a student, and as a professional.

~Jackario Smith

Mrs. Roach was my elementary school principal from the kindergarten through the 5th grade at Forest Park Elementary. She made coming to school each day fun and exciting. When were students at Forest Park, she would always joke about boogers being on the wall in the hallway as we liked to run our fingers along the grooves of the cinderblocks. I will always remember her being a model for excellence. Mrs. Roach always model her expectations for her students at any time. When she learned of my becoming a teacher, she encouraged me to do my best, and offered to come read to my class. I am so thankful to have had the privilege to know her as a student, and as a professional in the field of education.

~Jackario Smith

I remember it specifically, it was the day before I started 5th grade, sadly my home burned down while me and my mother watched in the front yard, actually just down the street from Aycock Elementary on South Ridge. Mrs. Roach upon hearing of the situation made it a point to help any way she could. I’ll never forget her for that, and I believe that instance is what taught me to be a caring person.

She was my 1st grade teacher at Aycock Elementary, then she later became my principle. She would be so nice to me, she genuinely showed care and love to everyone. I remember like yesterday, she would walk by you and rub on your back with her nails and such a soothing and comforting way. She made sure we knew that we were her babies. Such a good person sure will be missed.