WASHINGTON — John Payne, the principal of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, knew every student by name and was always there for them.
Now students and staff are mourning the 53-year-old’s death Thursday. He died suddenly of an apparent heart attack.
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson says Payne meant a lot to the school and the community.
“We’re going to take care of each other because that’s what family does. This is a very tight-knit community, and this is a tremendous loss for all of us,” Henderson told News Channel 8.
“This man was a servant leader. He had a heart for students.”
In a letter to the Duke Ellington community, Charles Barber, president of the board of directors at the school, described Payne as “a brilliant, loving and courageous man who had a passion for helping children. He dedicated his life to the students of Ellington for 20 years.”
He became the principal this year, after having worked at Ellington since 1995.
Payne, a D.C. native who lived in Petworth, was an Augustinian friar and a member of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, according to his biography on the school’s website.
Grief counselors are at the school’s Meyer campus on 11th Street Friday and will return Tuesday.
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