After-hours teaching included star-gazing
Gary Cole didn’t limit his teaching to daylight hours. At SHS he taught general science and earth science. Relates a former teaching colleague, “Gary was well known for his ability to draw a perfect circle with a piece of chalk without lifting the chalk from the chalk board and for meeting his students at the school after dark to look through the school’s giant telescope to get an astronomy lesson. Perhaps he was best known for his kindness to others.”
Mr. Cole earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University and master’s from Oklahoma University. His teaching career began at Johnny Appleseed Jr. High School in 1962. He arrived at SHS in 1965 and taught until retiring in 1995. After retiring Mr. Cole was elected Crawford County Treasurer several times.
In addition, he has been visiting his daughters, both educators, staying fit through exercising, traveling, volunteering to help the elderly, and working with Old Spokes, a group that repairs bicycles for the Shelby Christmas Fund.
Observes an alum, “Mr. Cole inspired numerous SHS students to take a strong interest in the sciences, especially earth-related sciences.”