WACO, Texas — Former superintendent of both Waco and Laredo ISD Dr. Marcus Nelson has died, Laredo City Councilmember Alberto Torres announced on Facebook Saturday.
"Saddened to hear about the passing of our good friend Dr. Marcus Nelson, former Superintendent for Laredo Independent School District," Torres wrote.
In 2020, Marlin City Council hired Nelson to be their charter school consultant. Prior to that, he served as Waco ISD's superintendent for two years from 2017 to 2019.
Waco ISD Chief of Staff Kyle DeBeer released the following statement after learning about Nelson's passing.
“Working with Dr. Nelson, I saw firsthand his belief in the transformative power of education and his commitment in making that opportunity available to every child. He believed that education (and particularly the support of an incredible teacher) altered the course of his life, and he felt a responsibility to pay it forward by opening those same doors for the next generation. He was a storyteller with a personality that could fill a room and the power to inspire. He knew that it took the community to transform a student’s life, and he cared deeply and personally about the members of the team he assembled to join him in that work. Tonight, there are so many - not just in Waco but across the state - who mourn his passing.”
Nelson was also the former superintendent at Laredo ISD and was named state Superintendent of the Year by the Texas Association of School Boards in 2014.
"He will be truly missed; our prayers are with his family and friends," Torres wrote.