Rome Reporter

Georgia Northwestern Technical College issued the following announcement on Dec. 17

Friends, family and Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) faculty and staff gathered beside the greenhouses at the Floyd County Campus (FCC) in Rome on Friday, Dec. 17, to pay tribute to David Warren, former director of the Horticulture program at GNTC.

Warren passed away unexpectedly in June.

The ceremony memorialized Warren in two of the most appropriate ways for a horticulturist and educator to be celebrated, by dedicating a tree in his memory and presenting the first David Warren Scholarship to a Horticulture student.

“David Warren was an exceptional teacher and head of GNTC’s Horticulture program. We are so grateful to the Warren family and other donors who have made the David Warren Memorial Scholarship possible,” Dr. Heidi Popham, president of GNTC said. “The scholarship is a fitting tribute to David.”

The David Warren Memorial Scholarship was established to support outstanding Horticulture students and to honor the memory of a lifelong educator.

“Mr. Warren was so dedicated to his students and program,” Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, vice president of Academic Affairs said. “He always had a smile on his face and was so pleasant to be around. Mr. Warren is greatly missed.”

In attendance at the ceremony were several members of David Warren’s family including his grandchildren, who affectionately called him ‘Buddy’.

David and Diane Warren were married for over 40 years. The couple have three children, two daughters, Mary McNeeley of Cartersville and Anna Woods of Rome and a son, Dr. Thomas Warren of Albertville, Ala., and five grandchildren, Mollie Mae Warren, William Foster “Liam” McNeeley, Tyson David Warren, Cameron Ishmael Woods and Macklin Warren Woods.

Dianne presented the first David Warren Memorial Scholarship to recipient Ben Niles.

Niles is a GNTC horticulture student from Resaca.

After the scholarship and tree dedication, friends and family gathered around a Japanese maple which David Warren had planted. 

The Warren family lifted the drape off of the tree plaque that reads, “David Warren, an incredible and multi-talented teacher who inspired generations of Horticulture students and growers alike. His positive influence lives on in all of us.”

Dr. Thomas Warren thanked Dr. Popham, faculty and staff and the GNTC Foundation. “You will never know what this school meant to my father or what GNTC means to our family, thank you.”

The David Warren Memorial Tree is located beside the greenhouses on GNTC’s Floyd County Campus.

Prior to being the director of the Horticulture program at GNTC, Mr. Warren was an instructor at the Floyd County College and Career Academy for nearly 30 years and served as the Future Farmers of America (FFA) advisor for many years.

 The Foundation at GNTC has established the “David Warren Memorial Horticulture Scholarship Fund” in his honor. There are two ways to contribute to the to the David Warren Scholarship fund. For online giving options visit www.gntc.edu and click on donate in the upper-right corner. Please write “Warren” in the notes section. For mail options make check payable to GNTC Foundation and send to:

GNTC Foundation

One Maurice Culberson Drive

Rome, Ga., 30161

Please write “Warren” in the memo line.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in aviation, business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,820 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,591 students and an additional enrollment of 3,229 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.

Original source can be found here.