OKC teacher remembered as patient, loving
An Oklahoma City Public Schools teacher who was found dead in a charred house was described as being full of love and patience.
The body of Jill Anjanette Vaught, 34, was found Saturday by Mustang firefighters in a home in the 500 block of Castle Ridge Lane.
Jason Vaught, Jill’s brother, said his sister treated every one of her students as if they were her own children.
“I really feel sorry for those kids,” he said. “She loved those kids. She loved being a teacher.”
Vaught was a secondgrade teacher at Linwood Elementary School. She previously taught at Rockwood Elementary, North Highlands Elementary and Adams Elementary.
“Oklahoma City Public Schools is deeply saddened by the loss of Jill Vaught,” according to a statement provided by the district. “Jill joined OKCPS in 2008 and was loved by her students.
“We offer our condolences to Ms. Vaught’s family and friends, as well as her school family. OKCPS will continue to provide support services at Linwood Elementary for her students and co-workers who have lost a dear teacher and friend.”
Linwood parent Stacy Young said Vaught had “patience like no one I’d ever seen.”
“She was always willing to help others,” she said.
Jill Vaught was a “beloved member” of Red Dirt Jeeps, according to the group’s Facebook page.
In Vaught’s memory, Red Dirt Jeep members will collect teddy bears for Vaught’s students from 7-9 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of Academy Sports and Outdoors in Norman.
Mustang Deputy Chief Roy Widmann said fire crews were notified of a house engulfed in flames about 12:45 a.m. Saturday. One person escaped the house through a window.
Initial efforts to enter the home were abandoned as crews encountered intense flames and high heat. After containing the fire, crews making a sweep of the home found Vaught’s body, Widmann said.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and the person who escaped the fire, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Widmann said the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. A report is expected to be released next week.