The passing of beloved principal Kraig Kelican has caused the past few weeks at FHS to be like no other, as students and faculty mourn the leader that inspired generations. Kelican passed away on Thursday, Sept. 21 after a two-week battle in intensive care from injuries he sustained in a car accident on I-66. Principal designee Jim Raines stated in a school assembly that Kelican died peacefully with his family by his side.

“I lost a very good friend. Mr. Kelican and I have worked together for the last 38 years… He was a great leader, a champion for the students and for education in general,” said Raines. Kelican’s absence, even when he remained hospitalized, had a profound impact on students. “His parking spot was empty and his office door was closed, and it kind of felt empty,” said senior Billy Brooks.

Sept. 21, the day Kelican passed, was unforgettable at FHS. “That Thursday morning, I saw a lot of people from the school board walking in with therapy dogs and I saw a lot of people here that don’t work here, so I kind of suspected that something was happening. When we went to the auditorium and Mr. Raines announced it, before he even finished his sentence I just lost it,” said Brooks. “Once [Raines] said it, it gave me chills. It really broke my heart,” said senior Ashley Heflin. “I feel like it was something in the back of everyone’s mind, so I feel like I braced for it, but when they called us down, I felt like I knew. Once they said it out loud it actually became real, and it felt real. And I just started crying. The impact that he’s left on the school, that he’s left on me, that he’s left on everyone in the community is so strong. I feel like that’s the only natural reaction I could’ve had,” said senior Jake Miller.

Many students echo the same sentiment when remembering the man Kelican was – a friend. “He was just someone that I automatically had a connection with, and he was that one trusted adult in the school I knew I could go talk to. He truly felt like a best friend,” said Brooks. Senior Grace Jones says Kelican was “definitely” a friend, saying, “I felt like I could walk into his office whenever I needed to talk to him.”

As FHS grieves, many students have come forward with their unique stories and memories with Kelican. “One day, I had left my keys in my car… and I came to my car after school and it was locked…and Mr. K came down and he said ‘Why haven’t you left yet, are you good?’… and I said ‘Yeah, I can’t get in my car right now’ and he came back out with a metal hanger from his office. We were just dying laughing the whole time. We got into the car and it worked out perfectly, and it was just the funniest thing ever. When would you have thought you’d be breaking into your car with your principal?” said Heflin.

Students remember Kelican’s presence in almost every extracurricular activity, not just in sports. Miller remembers his extensive involvement in the arts, saying, “He would come to every performance, every concert, every choir concert. He was always there as a really good beacon of support. I feel like he was the first administrator that ever took the arts very seriously.” “He never chose his favorite activity, he didn’t favor sports over academic activities or plays, he made sure he balanced his support for everything,” said Brooks.

Brooks shared disappointment that he was unable to thank Kelican and say a proper goodbye. “I knew that I wasn’t going to get another chance to talk to him, and I didn’t thank him before he left, and I wished I could’ve. It was hard because it truly felt like I lost a best friend, and I wished I just got the time to be able to say thank you,” said Brooks.

Kelican’s legacy remains at FHS long after his passing. “All of it just reminds me that he’s not gone, he’s still here, he’s still in everything, his spirit is all around,” said Heflin. “Realizing how much he impacted me, my friends, and our high school experience, it just makes his loss so much harder. But it also is so great to reflect about everything that he has given us,” said Jones. Miller stated that Kelican is a model for everyone to look up to, saying, “That man was full of so much love for all his students. He truly showed the people that he cared about them – unwavering support and unconditional love for everyone, and I think all educators should strive to be like that.”