Greenwood mourns lost high school principal, son

Ronnie Deal, lead pastor of Greenwood First Baptist Church, speaks about Aaron Gamble during the funeral service for both him and his son, Landry Gamble, at H.B. Stewart Bulldog Arena at Greenwood High School Wednesday.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente)
Ronnie Deal, lead pastor of Greenwood First Baptist Church, speaks about Aaron Gamble during the funeral service for both him and his son, Landry Gamble, at H.B. Stewart Bulldog Arena at Greenwood High School Wednesday. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Thomas Saccente)

GREENWOOD -- Hundreds gathered Wednesday at Greenwood High School to mourn the deaths of an educator and his son, both of whom died in a car accident last week.

The funeral for Aaron Matthew Gamble, 42, and Landry James Gamble, 15, both of Greenwood, was held at the school's H.B. Stewart Bulldog Arena.

The father and son died in a two-car accident in LeFlore County, Okla., on Friday. Three Fort Smith residents traveling in the other car also died, according to a report from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Aaron Gamble was announced earlier this year as the next principal of Greenwood High School. He worked in the School District for 21 years, during which he taught math and served as a football coach, bus driver and as the voice of the Greenwood Bulldogs at Smith Robinson Stadium.

Gamble also served as assistant principal and principal of Greenwood Junior High School, as well as assistant principal of the high school.

"Aaron loved the Lord and served Him faithfully," Gamble's obituary states. "He was an active member of Greenwood First Baptist Church, where he had served as deacon, life-group leader, choir/praise team member and was always a willing servant to fulfill any need."

Ronnie Deal, lead pastor of Greenwood First Baptist Church, officiated Wednesday's funeral. Deal said one couldn't talk about Aaron Gamble without thinking about the impact he had on the local community, citing all Gamble had done for the School District and the number of people attending the ceremony. He described Aaron Gamble as a man who loved Greenwood, the district and its people.

Suzanne Wilson, an assistant superintendent for the district, said Gamble was an integral part of the district's leadership team. He will be greatly missed by his peers and the students, she said.

"He was very popular with the students because he stood the line, but they knew he loved them, and so he was a very special person," Wilson said.

Wilson said Gamble's dream was to be the principal of the high school. One quality that stood out the most to her about him was the way he loved his family. He was seldom seen without them.

"We all knew, as much as he loved our school and loved his job, God and his family came first," Wilson said.

Mayor Doug Kinslow said he knew Gamble as a teenager when he was the director of what is now the Greenwood Boys & Girls Club, as well as in following years. He said even as a teen, Gamble was busy volunteering, announcing the organization's district baseball tournaments every year and serving as an umpire.

Kinslow also noted Gamble was mature at that age, a feature that persisted to the point that, by the time he turned 42, he'd become a pillar of the community. Kinslow reacted to the news of Aaron and Landry Gamble's deaths with shock and disbelief.

"I think the community has done a wonderful job of surrounding the family, but we are all going to be in shock for quite some time," Kinslow said. "We all come and go, but this one has hit us hard."

Landry Gamble would have been a sophomore at Greenwood High this fall, according to his obituary. He was on the school's golf team and was manager for its basketball team and a member of both the National Junior Honor Society and the Principal's Roll. He was also involved in the Greenwood First Baptist Church youth group, the youth leadership team and the church's children's ministry.

Kinslow said he knew Landry Gamble when he was a young boy, adding he was "definitely on a path to be just like his dad."

"There was just no doubt about it," Kinslow said. "Same volunteerism, same attitude, same smile on his face, same dimples. Just kind of a mini Aaron."

Wilson, who said she had known Landry Gamble since he was born, echoed Kinslow's sentiment. In addition to following in his father's footsteps and being active in the School District, Wilson said he was kind to everyone and "never really met a stranger."

Surviving family members include Tara Williams Gamble, Aaron's wife and Landry's mother; and Dacie Gamble, Aaron's daughter and Landry's sister, according to their obituaries.

Upcoming Events