MSU places memorial for Jason Rhea, first employee killed by COVID-19

Employees of Missouri State University raised money to honor one of their own killed by COVID-19 in the early part of the global pandemic.

A memorial bench, carved out of a boulder, is part of the new Judith Enyeart Reynolds Arts Park on the southeast part of the university's Springfield campus.

Jason Matthew Rhea, assistant director of facilities management, died in October 2020. He was 51.

MSU President Clif Smart said the memorial was important to the employees of the university as well as Rhea's family and friends.

"He was the first employee to die of (complications from) COVID at a time when there wasn't medicine or a vaccine to help us overcome this," Smart said in a Wednesday interview with the News-Leader.

From October 2020:Longtime groundskeeper at Missouri State dies 'after a battle with COVID-19'

Smart said Rhea was a "long-term, good employee" of the university, his father had worked at Missouri State, and his daughter is now enrolled as a student.

"That family is such a big part of the university and his death had a significant effect on many, many people," Smart said. "It is important for all of us who were fortunate to make it through the pandemic to recognize one of our family who did not."

The effort to raise at least $5,000 for the memorial was launched by the Staff Senate. Rhea worked at the university for 21 years.

Smart said the placement of the memorial was suggested by Rhea's family. The area, on the southeast part of campus, was one of the first areas that Rhea maintained.

In February 2021, Ryan Reed, as chair of the State Senate, said Rhea's coworkers felt it was important to remember him with a permanent memorial.

Rhea's colleagues also embraced the location suggested by his family.

"That is where Jason, when he first started working at the school, that was the part of campus he was responsible for," Reed said last year. "It was his favorite place on campus."

More:Teacher killed in St. Louis school shooting was on MSU's championship field hockey team

Rhea was the first MSU employee to die of complications related to COVID-19.

Since that time, at least three others connected to the university have also died. They include Guy B. Webb, faculty emeritus, who spent more than 30 years at MSU, and William "Bill" Self, who spent 10 years at MSU.

Kenneth Wayne Brown, who died in late September, retired from MSU in 2001 after 30 years. He was a professor of accountancy and served in numerous leadership posts, including associate vice president for finance and assistant to the president.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: MSU places memorial for Jason Rhea, first employee killed by COVID-19