The death of the beloved band captain devastates SC High School

The death of the 17-year-old marching band captain devastated her high school and community in South Carolina.

Delaine Ford was the oldest at Colleton County High School in Walterboro before she died unexpectedly over the weekend, Band of Blue said in a Facebook statement.

“Delyn was so, so hot” Band Director William Finnigan wrote on Facebook on October 30. “An exceptionally good person, student, musician and manager. She was the change she wanted to see to make life better around her.”

Peers, teachers and family friends offered their condolences online. Emergency response service members who work with Ford’s mother also spoke out.

“Delyn never met strangers. Delaine was like a daughter to many of us. She has grown up in an EMS family for the past 16 years. She was a loving child,” EMS worker Suzanne Peeples wrote on Facebook. “She loved us all. She loved her family and especially her mom.”

Ford played solo in Band of Blue Contest days before her death, even though she was in a wheelchair with a knee injury, Peeples said on Facebook.

The Colleton County School District is offering grief support and counseling to students and faculty, according to the statement.

“We are deeply saddened by her death and extend our condolences to her family and friends,” the school district said. “We ask that you support the spirit of family, friends and faculty during this most difficult time.”

Walterboro is about 50 miles northwest of Charleston.