Aaron Feis

Before Feb. 14, Aaron Feis was known to many students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School simply by his last name, Feis. Today, the security guard and assistant coach is regarded by all as a hero.

Born on May 17, 1980 in New York, Feis lived 37 years. He is survived by his wife, Melissa Feis, 8-year-old daughter Arielle Feis, sister Johanna Feis, brothers Michael Feis and Raymond Feis Jr. and his parents Raymond Feis Sr. and Stephanie Feis.

Family was always the most important aspect of Feis’s life. His affection and constant consideration for his family contributed to his personality and known title as a “family man.”

“His daughter was his life,” football coach and security guard Elliot Bonner said. “He was a dad. He would pick her up if she didn’t feel well, or even if she looked like she didn’t feel well. That’s the kind of dad he was.”

Feis developed a relationship with each and every person who spent time with him. Whether it be his colleagues, the players he coached or even students he was responsible for disciplining, he was known and admired for his selflessness, his sense of humor and his consideration for the needs and well-being of others.

“I talked to Feis pretty much every day for 20 years,” Bonner said. “I talked to him more than I talked to my wife.”

Although Feis valued all of his relationships with the athletes he coached, there is one situation in particular that is a testament to the true character of Aaron Feis. A former athlete of Feis’s, who chose to remain anonymous, had a difficult upbringing and home life, but there was one constant support system and friend he had, Coach Feis.

“Feis didn’t have much, but he always made sure this kid was fed and out of a destructive environment,” Feis’s former colleague Justin Schuster said. “Coach Feis always stood by his side.”

Feis was not only an Eagle in character with his courage and altruism, but also in his alma mater, having graduated from MSD in 1999. He moved to Parkland at 10 years old and played on MSD’s football team. In his time as a student, he played as an offensive and defensive lineman on the MSD football team, and he was coached by Bonner. Later Feis would coach alongside him for the junior varsity football team. training; he did emotional training.”

Bonner jokingly referred to how he remembered Feis when he was a player on the football team. “He was a funny, long red-haired aggressive kid,” Bonner said.

His dedication to the school and its football team only grew stronger from the time he was a student to when he became a coach. The football program was only enriched when Feis decided to come back and help turn the football team around.

“He loved football, whether he was playing football or coaching football,” friend and security guard Brian Staubly said. “He was passionate about the students, he loved the students, and he loved being here at Douglas.”

The coach had an undying passion for football. In 2002, just three years following his graduation, he became the head coach for the MSD junior varsity football team. He continued coaching in this position for eight years and then became the assistant coach for both the varsity and junior varsity teams. His love for football persisted throughout his life, and he fostered this love within the MSD football players.

Feis was about character... He wasn’t a football coach, he was a life coach... He never looked for another job. He loved Douglas. He gave his life for Douglas.

Feis ensured that the people around him reached their full potential and did the same for his football teams. He continually encouraged the team to strive for improvement not only on the football field, but also in the game of life.

“He cared more about making us better players and better people than he did about winning,” varsity football player Ajay Sasser said.

Feis’s chivalrous nature carried throughout every aspect of his life. He saw the good in everyone, even those who tended to cause trouble with administration. In his security guard position, he did discipline students, but he also made an effort to ensure that they would stay out of trouble in the future.

“He was very efficient, he knew the rules,” Bonner said. “He did a lot of training; he did emotional training."

As a security guard, Feis aspired to become a security specialist, according to Bonner. Security specialists oversee security in the schools and attempt “to make the individual school a safe and secure work environment for students and employees and to prevent/reduce loss of student/employee and school property by theft and vandalism,” according to Broward County Public Schools official job description.

“He was passionate about the kids. He cared for all of us, no matter who you were,” varsity football player Gage Gaynor said. “He cared for the football team, and he cared for the students at MSD, even if he knew you or didn’t know you.”

Even students who didn’t know Feis personally saw him around school or in the senior lot, where he greeted students every morning as they pulled into their parking spots.

“He was always there,” senior Andy Pedroza said. “I didn’t really speak to him, he was just there doing his job.”

Aside from selflessness, one of the first traits that comes to mind when Feis’s name is heard is sarcastic. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Feis can attest to his unparalleled sense of humor. Bonner describes the greatest aspect of his personality as his “hidden humor.” He loved to playfully banter with everyone around him, including the football players he coached.

“He made really bad jokes; he would always try to make fun of you, but he would always smile after. He would make it better by smiling,” varsity football player Will Pringle said. “He was just a really funny guy. He always had a smile on his face.”

Despite his constant wisecracking, Feis cared deeply about those who were close to him. He developed unique and personal connections with each of the football players that he coached because it was important for him to know who the students were, and not just as athletes, but as people. MSD was not just his workplace, but his home, and the athletes were not just his team, but his kids.

“He never looked for another job. He loved Douglas; he gave his life for Douglas,” Bonner said.

Feis looked at the kids on the football team as the next generation of great adults and worked tirelessly to make sure they knew that they always had not just a football coach, but also a friend in Feis.

“He really paid attention to each individual person,” Pringle said. “He tried to make connections with each person. He really cared about character as opposed to just football skills.”

In order to preserve his extraordinary character, NFL Los Angeles Chargers player Corey Liuget created a scholarship to be granted to a graduating member of the MSD football team who displays similar values and traits to Feis.

“Feis was about character... He wasn’t a football coach, he was a life coach,” Bonner said.

Not only did Feis care about his football players, but he made sure to support everyone around him in any way he could.

“He had a lawn service during the weekend, so I asked him for help with my lawn. I said, “if you’re not doing anything Sunday, come over and do my lawn. I’ll pay you.’ He came over, did my lawn and didn’t even take any money for it. He said, ‘hey, I’m doing it for a friend,’” Staubly said. “That was the type of guy he was... he would always put you first.”

Feis’s devotion to others continued throughout his life, and that is the way he will be remembered. In honor of Feis, artist Pia Guerra from Canada created a cartoon entitled “Hero’s Welcome,” illustrating his entrance to heaven with children highlighting his valiance that he demonstrated in his life.

The cartoon quickly became viral due to its emotional impact and virtuous characterization of Feis. Guerra’s depiction of Feis showed the world how he lived his life: to help others.

From the time he was 16 to the time he was 37, Coach Feis was an Eagle. Although he is not physically here, Feis’s legacy as an Eagle will live on through his team and through the students of MSD. Story by Carly Novell; photos courtesy of Willis May and Sean Simpson