ATLANTA — A beloved teacher and coach at North Atlanta High School has passed away at 62.
Kerry Sarden, the head coach for the boys' varsity basketball team and the school's golf coach, died unexpectedly, North Atlanta High Principal Curtis Douglass said in a letter to parents and guardians on Tuesday.
"This news deeply saddens us, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Coach Sarden’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time," Douglass wrote in part in the letter. "Losing a member of our North Atlanta family is an immense tragedy that affects us all, and we offer our sincerest condolences and support to those grieving this profound loss."
Coach Sarden made a big impact both on and off the basketball court. He's being remembered as a man of integrity and passion.
"They're saying it was a cardiac arrest. He was watching the game (The Rose Bowl). His wife told me she had went in to check on him and found him," his friend March Upshaw said of the Samarc Foundation-- a nonprofit basketball camp for kids out of Columbus, Georgia.
Upshaw said he worked with Sarden over the summers to help organize the basketball camp.
Coach Sarden had a passion for sports and people. He was able to turn that passion into a career– first as a player in an Atlanta-based semi-pro league and then as a teacher and varsity golf and basketball coach.
"He was beyond being a coach. He was a mentor. He was funny. He was crazy. He was smart," Upshaw said.
Upshaw described Sarden as a bright light and a great person.
“He was a family man first. He was a Godly man. He was a man you could trust and depend on," Upshaw said.
Upshaw said Sarden leaves behind his wife Joan and two sons.
Douglass said grief counselors will be available to assist students and staff who may need support during this difficult time.
"I'll let you know the details regarding memorial services as they become available. Let us unite as a community and support one another through every phase of this sorrowful time," Douglass concluded.
You can read the full letter on Sarden's passing online here.