PACE
West
dedicated
their
gym
in
honor
of
Douglas
MacArthur
Lovelace
on
September
24,
2021.
Lovelace,
or
"Mr.
Doug"
as
his
students
affectionately
called
him,
was
a
special
education
teacher
as
well
as
a
basketball
and
kickball
coach
at
the
school
for
over
20
years.
Lovelace
passed
away
on
September
25,
2020.The dedication ceremony was attended by PACE West staff and students, as well as Superintendent of Schools Dr. LaTanya D. McDade, Division leadership, and members of the School Board.
Tyrone Matthewson, a school psychologist and co-coach of the basketball team, shared his sentiment of his former colleague, "When I look across this room, I see many people who have been influenced by Doug. For example, his ability to mentor and lead others is what I see in Mr. Adrian; his ability to listen and be present in the moment is what I see in Mr. Jason; and in Colleen and Doug, Jr., I see the ability to love and care for others with unwavering resolve. Doug exemplified all those things, and now all those things are in all of us. That is a true definition of a legacy."
In addition to his years as a teacher and coach at PACE West, Lovelace was also a healthcare supervisor at NOVA Training Center for 15 years.