Pearland ISD Trustee Virgil Gant killed in truck accident

Virgil Gant, a longtime member of the Pearland ISD Board of Trustees, was killed in an accident Sunday. Virgil Gant, a longtime member of the Pearland ISD Board of Trustees, was killed in an accident Sunday. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Pearland ISD Trustee Virgil Gant killed in truck accident 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Virgil Gant, a long-serving and beloved member of Pearland ISD Board of Trustees, was killed in a tragic truck accident Sunday, June 26, in Crockett County. He was 68.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Gant was driving his Ford F250 truck west on I-10 towing a camping trailer with two passengers when strong cross winds caused the trailer to sway and skid off the road approximately 14 miles from Ozona around 9:30 a.m.

The truck separated from the trailer and rolled over twice before coming to rest on the north side of the road. DPS officials said Gant suffered profound injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. The two passengers were also injured and were transported to Shannon Medical Center in San Angelo where they were reported to be in stable condition. All three were wearing their safety belts at the time of the accident DPS officials reported.

Gant was the longest-serving current member of the Pearland ISD Board of Trustees having served a total of 16 years. He was first elected in 1997 and served until 2006 and was again elected in 2009. He served in many leadership roles, including board president and most recently as a member of the Long-Range Planning Steering Committee. In 2014, Gant received the Master Trustee designation from Texas Association of School Boards.

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our fellow trustee,” board president Rebecca Decker said. “He was a dear friend, mentor and a devoted champion for Pearland ISD. Our prayers are with the Gant family.”

Pearland ISD Superintendent Dr. John Kelly said, “Virgil Gant was both my boss and my good friend. More importantly, he was the friend of every student in this school district, always generous of his time and his resources. He did so much good - and with so little fanfare - that most people were not even aware of his many, many contributions to charities and good causes. His death is an enormous loss for our community.”

Pearland ISD offers its deepest sympathy to the family, and we also grieve as a district during this difficult time.

"These are very sad times in Pearland. I met Virgil a number of years ago and we became fast friends. He was a very outstanding trustee and was always doing things for the district to make it better. He was a district Scout executive with me and we both served on the Nominating Committee," Pearland Mayor Tom Reid said. "We'd go for coffee and swap Navy stories because he served in that capacity, too. He was quite the businessman and Financial Advisor. We lost a dedicated Pearland citizen. There are not many Virgil Gants around. We will miss him."

A financial advisor and certified financial planner with Edward Jones and a Pearland resident of more than 20 years.

Gant had also served on the Pearland Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. He received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and a master’s in business administration from Oklahoma City University.

Staff reporter Stacey Glaesmann contributed to this report.