Impressed by Horne’s legacy

Ray Horne’s legacy has certainly been felt all over Northside High School and Houston County over the past few weeks. Even though I never met Mr. Horne, you can tell that his spirit lives with everyone, whether you knew him or not.

Hearing different stories about Horne over past week from former co-workers, students or friends of him told a tale of a very kind, warmhearted and upbeat man. Many I spoke with said he was the type of person who told you never to give up on anything despite struggles or hardships. The impact Horne made on people was real.

As a reporter, gathering all these personal stories from those closest to him really touched me because not only it’s my job to tell the community how those who knew him felt about him, but also knowing that there are really great people out there in the county who truly love to make a difference in so many ways.

Aside from the personal stories of Horne, I was also impressed at the turnout with the amount of people who attended his funereal proceedings at Northside High. People who attended told me that not only did the entire “Ray Horne Theatre” fill up, but the school’s cafeteria and other parts of the school showed the ceremony for Horne on TVs for people to see. That right there shows heart and commitment from those paying tribute to a man who was apart of Northside High for 50 years.

From hearing everything about him, this man’s legacy will carry on forever in Houston County. Northside Principal Greg Peavy and Drama Director Brian Barnett both knew Horne very well either working with him or being one of his students. Both will continue to carry on his legacy through the school’s hallways for years to come and it is certain that future generation Northside students will hear incredible stories of Horne and will realize the type of impact he made on the school.

As the Northside High community would say it, there will never be another “Mr. Northside.”

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