Mel Gregory was on the sidelines for Northwest High School’s football game on Friday night, hours after his wife and longtime photography partner died.

The Gregorys had been on the sidelines for years taking photos for the Northwest football teams.

That’s what Linda Gregory was doing Monday for a junior varsity game at Bishop Carroll High School when she was hit by two players still engaged in a block just past out of bounds. She fell backward and hit her head on a concrete apron.

She had been on life support this week; her family intended to donate her organs.

“She has passed and is at peace,” Mel Gregory wrote on Facebook Friday just hours before the football game at Heights High School.

The Northwest football team, which had “LG” helmet stickers on helmets that will be there for the season, easily thwarted Heights, winning 41-13.

Mel Gregory and other family attended.

“I was back on the sidelines tonight to watch Linda Gregory being honored with many tributes. It was hard to do the interviews and my voice broke way too many times but I hope I made my beloved Linda Gregory proud of my attempt to be as good as she was,” Mel Gregory wrote on Facebook after the game.

“Please keep her in your heart, She was the most gentle and loving person I have ever known and I was so lucky to have had her for 23 years. Rest now, Linda. Time for your spirit to learn something new.”

Just before the game, he also wrote that she would have been “surprised and overwhelmed by the support and publicity of her tragic death.” He said they want to set up a scholarship fund for prospective photographers. Linda Gregory also operated a photography business, taking a wide range of photos in Wichita.

“I also want you to know that she would want you to place no blame on anybody, schools, sports, or players for her accident. I know that the players are traumatized and on her behalf, I want to show them support,” he wrote.”

“Having said that I will end with what Linda would say tonight: Go Grizzlies!!!”