Thomas Newill, a longtime teacher, assistant athletic director, and the driver’s education training teacher for the Avon Grove School District passed away at the age of 78 on Feb. 4.

At the Avon Grove School Board meeting on Feb. 28, district officials remembered Newill’s significant contributions to the school district, and the school board unanimously passed a Resolution of Tribute in his honor. A sealed copy of the Resolution of Tribute will be shared with Newill’s family.

School board member Bonnie Wolff talked about Newill’s contributions to the school district. He was a teacher for more than 31 years. He taught agriculture and then driver’s education. He was also very involved with the athletics program in various capacities.

Wolff said that her children received driver’s education from Newill, like so many others in the school district. To underscore the point, board member Herman Engel noted that everybody in the school district, it seemed, took driver’s education with Newill. School board member John Auerbach said that he himself had learned how to drive with the assistance of Mr. Newill. Auerbach pointed out that it took a person of great patience to teach young people how to drive.

Newill was also a member of a number of different community organizations through the years. He will be missed by many.

“There's a definite hole in the Avon Grove community,” Wolff said. “It's a sad thing. We will miss him.”