The Opelika High School Latin Club planted a tree on the Hartselle High School campus in memory of HHS graduate and Auburn University Senior Associate Athletics Director Virgil Starks.

A ceremony in his honor was held during the Alabama Junior Classical League convention at HHS April 24-25. His wife Donna Starks is a foreign language teacher at Opelika High School. She travelled with the Latin Club to HHS for the memorial.

Starks was an academically and athletically talented student at Hartselle. He left a lasting impact on many students he encountered through school and his career.

When he passed away of a heart attack suddenly in November of 2008, he was returning home from Auburn’s Homecoming football game against Tennessee-Martin. He made a career out of his passion for student-athletes like himself.

Several HHS alumni and faculty members also attended the memorial, according to HHS Latin teacher Beth Fuller.

“I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was going to be before the memorial,” Fuller said. “Several people came to meet his wife and remember Virgil Starks. I wish I had notified more people so his teachers and classmates could have known about it. Opelika High School really wanted our campus to have a memorial to him.”