Officials remember Wood County Schools employee

Les Lipscomb passed from COVID complications

PARKERSBURG -- A longtime Wood County Schools employee died last week due to complications from COVID-19.

Les Lipscomb Jr., 65, worked for the district for 22 years, most recently as custodian coordinator for the school system.

"Les was a jack-of-all-trades. He could do anything," said Martin Best, physical plant director for Wood County Schools. "He could do locksmith work, maintenance work and carpentry work. When custodians had trouble with equipment, they would call him first and 90 percent of the time he'd fix it on the spot."

Lipscomb passed away on Sept. 14.

Mike Fling, assistant superintendent of facilities and school services said Lipscomb's background as a mechanic came in handy whenever custodians needed help with their equipment.

"The past few weeks, I've been getting calls (for equipment repairs), and I had forgotten how much of that Les just took care of whenever someone asked," he said.

Lipscomb was also good with people and communication, Best said.

"He was always available if you needed him," Best said. "If I asked him to do something, I didn't have to worry about it getting done."

As custodian coordinator, Lipscomb was responsible for all custodial training, summer work schedules and major projects. He also performed frequent quality checks at schools and worked with staff to improve areas of need or concern.

"In the past few years, Les helped 50 or more custodians start their careers," Fling said.

Fling said Lipscomb was always upbeat and personal.

"True helpers, people who are in it for others, just to help others, they're pretty rare anymore. He just wanted to make sure everyone was taken care of," he said. "He is missed by everyone."

Wood County Board of Education member Judy Johnson worked with Lipscomb when she was principal of Jefferson Elementary Center and director of curriculum and instruction for the school district. She often tells people how Lipscomb helped a special needs student by modifying the boy's electric wheelchair so he could steer it with his mouth.

Lipscomb "really had a heart for the children," Johnson said, "and gosh, he was talented. He had so many talents and he was always ready to use them to help."

Christie Willis, assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and accountability for Wood County Schools, said she first met Lipscomb when she was a teacher and he was a custodian at Jefferson Elementary Center.

"My heart was broken" when she heard of his passing, Willis said. "I just considered him a really dear friend. Les cared about kids and he cared about people. He was just a really nice guy."

Willis said Lipscomb had a well-deserved reputation for being friendly and reliable.

"A lot of people depended on him. He could fix anything. He would help out anyone. He was just a really good guy," Willis said. "Wood County Schools lost a valuable member of the team."

But Willis added she was grateful she'd had the opportunity to reunite with Lipscomb in the spring during a tour of Jefferson Elementary Center in preparation for summer programs.

"He and I did the walk-through together. We were joking 'here we are, back here again together,'" she said. "It was like I got to take one last stroll through Jefferson with him."