YOUNGSTOWN - A Mahoning County sheriff's reserve deputy who worked security for years for a city school system collapsed and died while on duty Wednesday afternoon.
Sheriff Randall Wellington said Reserve Deputy Robert Conway, 56, of Youngstown, was working at Chaney High School when he collapsed with no warning while talking to someone.
School officials said they believe no students were in the area when Conway collapsed.
Wellington said doctors at St. Elizabeth Health Center said it appears Conway had a massive heart attack.
Conway had worked for years in the schools for the school board and had been with the Sheriff's Office for 15 or 20 years, Wellington said. Conway was also a reserve officer for the city police department for several years, Wellington said.
''He was a good family man. A good father and husband,'' Wellington said. ''Whenever you needed something, he was there at a moment's notice.''
Sheriff's Sgt. T.J. Assion, president of Mahoning County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141, said Conway liked his job in the schools and the students liked him.
''He liked what he did,'' Assion did. ''He loved those kids and those kids loved him. I'm going to miss him like crazy. Bob was just a great guy.''
Condolences also flooded in from Conway's colleagues in law enforcement on his Facebook page, as well as some of the students he watched over.
''He was such a trustful guy,'' Assion said.
Karen Ingraham, city schools communications director, said grief counselors would be at the school today, and for as long as needed, to meet with students and staff.