The Bowie community is mourning the loss of John Morrow, a teacher who joined Bowie for the 2025–2026 school year. Morrow taught several math courses, including Algebra II and Pre-Calculus, and quickly made a meaningful impact on students and staff alike.
Morrow passed away peacefully at home in Kyle, Texas, on Sunday evening, January 18, surrounded by friends and family, following a tragic car accident the previous day. Before coming to Bowie, he had a successful career as an energy commodities broker in Houston, Texas, before choosing to pursue his passion for teaching.
While many students are still struggling with the loss of their teacher, who was a friend to many students, the math department believes it to be crucial that students are back on track with their learning sooner than later. But this task has been a struggle without a designated teacher for students.
Morrow’s 3rd period class had the opportunity to be moved to Caren Garcia’s class during her off period. Garza teaches many different math classes at Bowie, spanning on level to AP classes. Garza explains how she has enjoyed teaching a new class and meeting new students.
“I love my new students. I’m so grateful I get to know them,” Garza said, “I just wish the circumstances were different.”
Avery Camp is a junior, and was one of the students who was moved to Garza’s class to finish off the last semester of her Pre-Calculus class. She shared that the transition into a new classroom environment came with adjustments, but it also gave her a new perspective on the class experience.
“The loss was sudden but I feel very thankful to be able to have a smooth transition into a class with a regular teacher who I have been able to connect with personally, but also learn a lot from.” Camp said. “I struggled to learn without someone to get help from whenever I needed it, so I’m glad that we had the opportunity to make that transition as a class.”
Beyond building relationships with her new students, Garza also described the behind-the-scenes adjustments teachers had to make in order to keep Morrow’s classes running smoothly after his passing.
“To cover his classes, we divided the load as best we could. Mr. Howe took on Mr. Morrow’s 4th period Algebra 2 class during his conference period, and I took on his 3rd period Pre-calculus class during mine. His 5th period Pre-calculus students were redistributed into my 1st and 5th period classes, bringing 54 new students onto my roster. His 6th period class presented a greater challenge — we were unable to find a certified teacher mid-year, which is no small task,” Garza said. “We were fortunate to secure a wonderful permanent substitute in Mr. Pham. I build BLEND pages with guided notes and instructional videos, and Mr. Pham supports students with questions after they’ve worked through the material. He also attends our Algebra 2 and Pre-calculus team meetings to stay aligned on what’s being taught and assessed. It took time to find our footing, but I truly believe the students are thriving with their new teachers.”
Although the math department has worked to rebuild structure in Morrow’s classes, students say the personal impact he left on them continues far beyond academics. For many, his encouragement, presence, and support outside the classroom are what they remember most. Lucas Fechter, a junior who had Morrow for first period Algebra II, reflected on the relationship he built with him and the lasting effect of his loss.
“My favorite things about Mr. Morrow was how much he truly cared about all of his students. He always wanted the best for us and constantly showed up for us,” Fechter said. “He came to my football and soccer games and would talk to all of his students after the games. He loved his job and all of his students.”
