Lee University holds celebration of life service for Wilhoit
Photo by Christopher Vega.
In a Wednesday afternoon email, Vice President for Student Development Dr. Mike Hayes addressed the student body to inform them of a celebration of life service for Jabe Wilhoit.
Wilhoit, a sophomore business major, died on Dec. 8, 2020, in a fatal car accident in Charlotte, NC. The celebration of life service will be held tonight, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. in Pangle Hall.
“While the service is open to the campus and family, seating will be limited due to COVID-19 protocols,” said Hayes via email. “To allow more people to take part, particularly Jabe’s out-of-town family, we will be sharing the service via Livestream … ”
Hayes asked students planning to attend the service in person to abide by campus protocols concerning COVID-19 safety.
Lee University has seen two student deaths in recent months, including Wilhoit and Nygiem “Naj” Rayford-Roberts.
On Nov. 24, Rayford-Roberts passed away in a fatal car accident on Paul Huff Parkway. Rayford-Roberts was a member of EVS and majoring in health science with a minor in music and worship. On Dec. 12, there was a service honoring the life, ministry and legacy of Rayford-Roberts. Director of Racial and Ethnic Relations Gloria Scott-Richmond spoke, honoring his memory.
On Feb. 3, Imago Dei released an Instagram video in which they talked to close friends of Wilhoit and Rayford-Roberts, along with Lee University Counselor Lena Barber.
“We want to continue to honor them as we reflect on their beautiful lives,” said Imago Dei team member Dhuranique Ferguson of Wilhoit and Rayford-Roberts.
Imago Dei is a group of students that releases video series via Instagram. They recently spoke in chapel and often partner with the Office of Racial and Ethnic Relations.
“We knew that grief is, of course, a huge part of loss and death,” said Imago Dei team member Kat Lange. “Loss encompasses more of life than just death.”
Imago Dei members sat down with Barber, who teaches a class on death and loss, leads a grief group at the counseling center and has recently been giving grief seminars to faculty.
“Grief is to be respected, for sure,” said Barber in the Imago Dei video. “If we don’t respect grief and give it a space in our loss, then it has a way of ambushing us when we least expect it.”
For more information on grieving in a healthy way, contact the Lee University Counseling Center at (423) 614-8415 or counseling@leeuniversity.edu.
“We’ve learned to avoid loss. So, it’s important for us to recognize the myths we have learned early on and rewrite those in a way that is healthy,” said Barber.
To watch the entire Imago Dei video with Lena Barber, check out their Instagram page. To tune into the celebration of life service for Jabe Wilhoit, click here.
