Salem-Keizer Beacons

Salem-Keizer Beacons Remove any financial obstacle to athletic participation in Salem-Keizer School District athletics.

Serving our country.
06/07/2026

Serving our country.

Please feel free to share this post.

Today is the final of ten posts announcing our 2026 Beacons.
The Beacons - one representing each of our 6 high schools, and 4 more from our community - will be honored at our June 9th event - "The Beacons", held at the iconic Elsinore Theatre in downtown Salem.

Please go to www.skbeacons.com for more information.

"The Beacons" are sponsored by F&W Fence: https://fwfence.com/

Please read about McKay Beacon Lieutenant Colonel Derek Sawser below.

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The Salem-Keizer High School Sports Booster Club is dedicated to helping remove any financial barrier to athletic participation faced by a student-athlete. We believe that the lessons learned during athletic participation will help a person throughout their lifetime. By recognizing outstanding former athletes and/or former or current coaches, administrators, and supporters from the Salem-Keizer School District, we intend to promote the amazing things that sports provide to all involved and raise funds along the way.

The term "Beacon" is intentional. Our use of a lighthouse as a symbol is also intentional. Beacons are people who "show us the way". They are examples that others may follow. They may have excelled as athletes or coaches in our Salem-Keizer public high schools. They may have been administrators who have guided, promoted, and valued high school athletics. Or they may have been one of the myriad of high school supporters without whom our S-KSD high school athletics could not happen. In all cases they must be exemplary members of our community*.

* A Beacon must be at least 40 years old. "With age comes wisdom." 😉

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Tickets are $30 each and on sale on-line via the following link: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/95565819/the-beacon-awards-salem-elsinore-theatre

Come join us in celebrating these role models for our community.
We also will be honoring the Athletes of the Year for each of the OSAA-sanctioned sports offered by our Salem-Keizer schools. Come also join us in honoring the best of the best of S-KSD's current athletes.

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Derek Sawser's McKay Beacon award is sponsored by Withnell Hyundai - https://www.withnellhyundai.net/

Derek Sawser
"Aim High… Fly-Fight-Win"

There are special people in the world who literally put their lives on the line for others. They ensure that the rest of us can enjoy the lives we choose. Those who serve in our military are at the very top of that list. They choose to put themselves between those who would intentionally seek to harm us, upend our lives, and interfere with our freedoms. They choose to be away from family and friends to accomplish that mission. And they choose to set aside the daily freedoms that the rest of us enjoy, again, to protect us. That is a measure of devotion and sacrifice left to only the few - the bravest amongst us. Derek Sawser, for the past 29 years has made those choices.

Derek Sawser’s athletic journey began in northeast Salem playing as many sports as he could. His mom Judy and dad Gordon ensured he and his younger brother Brian made it to practices and games, be it little league, youth basketball, or soccer. More than 30 years later, he has great memories of game moments from all the sports he played, including the comeback wins, the upsets, and the trips to the playoffs that McKay teams hadn’t experienced in quite some time.

His high school years were filled with accomplishments. As an athlete he was outstanding in three sports - football, basketball, and baseball - at McKay High School from 1989 to 1993, lettering in all three from his sophomore through senior years. Derek was a key to every team he played on.


Derek spent his time athletically putting things into the air. As the starting quarterback, he put footballs in the air that became touchdown passes and led the Royal Scots into the playoffs. As the point guard for the Scots, he helped guide his team to a 3rd place finish at the state basketball tournament - the highest finish in school history - and launched basketballs that fell through hoops. And on the diamond, again where he was a three-year letterman, the swing of his bat sent balls soaring.

In both his junior and senior football seasons Derek received all-Valley League honors as voted by the coaches of the then ten-team league. As a senior he never left the field and was a 2nd team all-Valley League quarterback, safety, and punt returner. He was also a 2nd team all-Valley League selection in basketball as a senior. As a baseball player he followed up his 2nd team all-Valley honors as a junior with a unanimous 1st team all-Valley selection as an outfielder as a senior and was chosen to the 1st team all-state baseball team. As outstanding as he was in all three sports, baseball stood out. He hit .430, driving in 23 runs, and stealing 23 bases in spring of ‘93.

For each of his football, basketball, and baseball teams, Derek served as captain (an appropriate title, given where his future would take him). He was a Salem Sports and Breakfast Club Athlete of the Week for both basketball and baseball, a SSBC Orlo Gillette Prep Baseball Player of the Year nominee as a senior, and, ultimately, was chosen as the SSBC Oliver Huston Male Senior Athlete of the Year in June of ‘93. He was also the runner-up for KATU television’s ‘92-93 Athlete of the Year.

When he wasn’t on fields and courts Derek became an Eagle Scout in 1990, overseeing the installation of a jogging path at Waldo Middle School and was co-Valedictorian of his 1993 graduating class with a 4.0 g.p.a.

One of his favorite memories of his career as a Royal Scot was McKay’s aforementioned basketball run in the OSAA State Basketball tournament in 1993. Growing up, Derek’s teams never could beat the powerhouse from South Salem, but that season, his final season, they finally got the ‘W’ and split with the Saxons. He and the Royal Scots progressed further in the state tournament than South, losing in the semifinals to Wilson, a team led by future NBA star Damon Stoudamire. As mentioned earlier, McKay beat Benson for 3rd place and the home fans earned the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award.

Derek was one of the great high school student-athletes produced by the Salem-Keizer School District. Unfortunately, when people leave the area after high school, even with the success Derek enjoyed, people tend to forget. Out of sight, out of mind. But Derek left home for good reason. His outstanding high school years earned him an appointment at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Although the Academy showed interest in him as a football player and baseball player, he decided on baseball only so as to focus on his education and military training. The team’s schedule and the strict academic component taught Cadet Sawser to balance, organize, and manage his time. He loved baseball and it kept him motivated to graduate.

On the diamond for the Air Force Academy, he, as at McKay, was outstanding. He played four years as an outfielder for the Falcons in the Western Athletic Conference. As a sophomore he hit .323 with 37 runs batted in while playing in 46 games. As a junior in ‘96, he hit .376, drove in 43 runs, had 6 home runs, a .579 slugging percentage, and 20 doubles. In ‘97 he was the second leading hitter, with a .335 average, including 17 doubles, and 11 stolen bases. He also was the only Falcon to start all 50 games for the ‘97 season. He was a letter winner in ‘95, ‘96, and ‘97.

His athletic abilities and achievements speak for themselves. They alone would land Derek in a high school hall of fame. Like all Beacons, however, it was what he did after graduation from the Air Force Academy - with the rest of his life - that makes him stand out from the vast majority of other great athletes and great students.

While the original plan was to pursue a future in medicine or as an engineer, along the way he developed a passion for putting other things in the air. Over his time in Colorado Springs, through various exposures to flying squadrons, Sawser’s growing confidence and skill led him to want to fly fighter jets. Admittedly, he didn’t know much about flying or military aviation, but he knew he wanted to fly. Being a part of a fighter squadron was also a natural growth progression. Like playing sports, he became part of a team and he was a team player. Going forward he would be at the controls of combat military jets, defending his country, and training cadet pilots to do the same.

In 1997 his education and training would lead him to becoming an Air Force officer. Upon graduation he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. He would soon be experiencing arduous and demanding training to earn his wings as an F-15 Eagle pilot.

Reading opposing defenses, draining “3”s, or running down fly balls is one thing. Controlling the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is quite another. The F-15 is an American twin-engine, all-weather fighter aircraft. It is flown solo and can reach speeds of 2 ½ times the speed of sound - 1650 mph. It is armed with, among other things, a 20 millimeter (0.787 in) M61A1 6-barrel rotary cannon that can shoot 940 rounds. It also can carry a variety of missiles: Sparrows, Sidewinders, and/or AMRAMs. A complex and extremely powerful machine, it is not for the faint of heart.

Derek spent more than 15 years of his career in operational testing at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, most of that as an F-15 Test Director. He worked with all fighters and flew training missions alongside his allies from other countries in the skies over North America and the Middle East. Highly trained in combat weapons and tactics, Derek learned to fly, fight, and win and would help others do the same.

He flew combat missions primarily during Operations Northern and Southern Watch over Iraq. Northern Watch, where over 36,000 sorties were flown, primarily enforced the “no fly” zone over Iraq. Most Southern Watch missions consisted of fighter sweeps and patrols, the suppression of enemy aerial defenses, aerial reconnaissance, and airborne command and control. He was later deployed and served primarily as a staff officer in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, in addition to the “global war on terror”.

Participation in sports throughout his high school and college career gave Derek a great foundation – an edge - during his military career. He had been in pressure situations, worked effectively with others to common goals, and had stepped up to lead. Of course none of those situations were of the magnitude faced when piloting an F-15 in hostile situations. The vast military experience he’d gained over the years, the training, and teamwork made him the officer, pilot, instructor, and leader he became. They also made him a better husband and father.

Derek credits his parents, Gordon and Judy, as being a world class mom and dad who guided their sons through high school and to success in life. In 1995, brother Brian graduated McKay,
accepted an appointment to West Point, and is currently serving as a colonel in the Army stationed in Germany. Two sons, two graduates from our military academies; two proud parents.

Coaches from youth leagues through high school who left a lasting positive impression and created a bond that made a solid impact on his life also get credit. Coaches like Dan Miller, Craig Bush, Pete Sequera, Dan Gordon, Ron August, Scott Cross, Steve Masten, and Greg LaFountain led him. They are all part of the reason he’s succeeded and that nothing seems to stress him when handling any curveball or problem life throws at him.

Lieutenant Colonel Derek Sawser, McKay graduate and outstanding Royal Scot student and athlete, retires on June 30th after 29 years of service to our country. His journey started with valuable lessons growing up that included participation in a myriad of athletics in northeast Salem. The love and support of his parents and later his wife Mary Anne, daughter Paige, and extended family encouraged him and fueled his professional dedication to service and excellence. He has been one of the many who serve our country and protect us so that we can play the games we love and then honor the people who participate in those games.

Lieutenant Colonel Derek Sawser is a Beacon.

One of Salem's best.
06/07/2026

One of Salem's best.

Please feel free to share this post.

Today is the ninth of ten posts announcing our 2026 Beacons.

The Beacons - one representing each of our 6 high schools, and 4 more from our community - will be honored at our June 9th event - "The Beacons", held at the iconic Elsinore Theatre in downtown Salem.

Please go to www.skbeacons.com for more information.

"The Beacons" are sponsored by F&W Fence: https://fwfence.com/

Please read about Community and Posthumous Beacon Tom Pickens below.

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The Salem-Keizer High School Sports Booster Club is dedicated to helping remove any financial barrier to athletic participation faced by a student-athlete. We believe that the lessons learned during athletic participation will help a person throughout their lifetime. By recognizing outstanding former athletes and/or former or current coaches, administrators, and supporters from the Salem-Keizer School District, we intend to promote the amazing things that sports provide to all involved and raise funds along the way.

The term "Beacon" is intentional. Our use of a lighthouse as a symbol is also intentional. Beacons are people who "show us the way". They are examples that others may follow. They may have excelled as athletes or coaches in our Salem-Keizer public high schools. They may have been administrators who have guided, promoted, and valued high school athletics. Or they may have been one of the myriad of high school supporters without whom our S-KSD high school athletics could not happen. In all cases they must be exemplary members of our community*.

* A Beacon must be at least 40 years old. "With age comes wisdom." 😉

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Tickets are $30 each and on sale on-line via the following link: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/95565819/the-beacon-awards-salem-elsinore-theatre

Come join us in celebrating these role models for our community.
We also will be honoring the Athletes of the Year for each of the OSAA-sanctioned sports offered by our Salem-Keizer schools. Come also join us in honoring the best of the best of S-KSD's current athletes.

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Tom Pickens' Community Beacon award is sponsored by OlsenDaines Attorneys at Law - https://olsendaines.com/

Tom Pickens
Engaging Students, Building Success

Tom Pickens passed away on May 21, 2016.

Tom Pickens was a lifelong Salem educator, leader, and mentor whose influence shaped generations of students, educators, and families across the Salem-Keizer School District. He was a product of the Salem-Keizer area through and through, from birth to death. He understood the ethos and culture of Salem-Keizer. But what Tom really understood, largely through his own life experience, was that the academic success of kids in schools grows exponentially if they are “connected”. If through their school they can participate in activities for which they are inherently interested and, even better, passionate, their potential for academic success is greatly enhanced. Tom, as a student himself, and an educator knew that school activities cut a wide swath and every time that a student connected to their school via one or more of those activities, they were more motivated to be in school, the first and most important step in student success. More important, once in school, connected kids are in front of, and under the supervision of, significant adults - people who can help guide them to adulthood. Tom, as a student, primarily connected to school through athletics, although, truthfully, he was involved in almost every aspect of student life. Sports were his passion. He never forgot that. And while he celebrated and promoted any activity that connected kids, he very much appreciated athletics; they had played such an important role in his life. Athletics involves the largest number of students outside the classroom. Athletic participation, according to all statistics, is the most correlated to lifetime success. Tom Pickens loved to see kids on fields, courts, courses, mats, and tracks because he knew he was making better adults.

One is struck, when reading Tom’s biography as to why he believed in kids being involved. Why wouldn’t he? His entire growing up - including college - was being involved. School was just more fun that way!

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Born on July 18, 1936, at Salem General Hospital to Chester and Gladys Pickens, Tom grew up in Salem alongside his older sister, Elizabeth Jean. Raised on Center and Thompson Streets just blocks from what is now North Salem High School in a home that still stands today, he came from a very middle class family. Tom often reflected fondly on his idyllic childhood and the parents who loved him and he so deeply appreciated. He attended Englewood Elementary, Parrish Junior High, and Salem High School—now North Salem High School—where he developed both lifelong friendships, deep connections to his community, a passion for athletics, and a strong willingness to join and lead.

Tom was an outstanding athlete throughout his “growing up years”, including as a Parrish Pioneer, which was a harbinger of things to come when he reached high school where his athletic excellence really became known.

At Salem High, Tom distinguished himself as a multi-sport athlete, earning varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball. In fact, it’s quite possible that, looking back, Tom Pickens was one of the best athletes to ever go through a SKSD high school. Unfortunately, because this time was so long ago, he is also one of its best kept secrets.

Although Tom would distinguish himself in all three sports, receiving all-district honors in each, this 5’10”, 170 pounder would really step forward in football - as a center! A two year starter, Tom’s 1953 senior season, under legendary coach Lee Gustafson, went to another level. The Vikings were the ‘53 district champions, the first football championship in school history, a school that first played football in 1904. The Vikings won ten consecutive games in ‘53 before falling to Central Catholic in the playoffs. Tom was named by the Central Catholic team to their “all-opponents” team. Tom was named an all-district football all-star and was named as a 2nd team all-state offensive lineman by the Oregonian newspaper. He was chosen to the 1954 Shrine All-Star football game that pitted the metro area of Portland against the rest of the state. Playing in the Shrine game was a pinnacle high school football accomplishment in Tom’s era. Tom was the starting center for the State team that handed the Metro squad its worst loss to that point - 50-0.

As a basketball player, he played for another legendary coach - Harold Hauk. He was a varsity starter as a junior and senior. Tom - all 5’10” - was a forward noted for his tough defense, rugged rebounding, solid offensive play, and very high energy on the court. He helped lead the Vikings to the “Big 6” Conference championship and the state playoffs in the 1953-54 season.

As a baseball player, Tom was the starting 1st baseman on the Viking baseball team as both a junior and senior. In his senior year he was the second leading hitter with a .346 average, leading the team in hits and runs batted in. He also helped lead his American Legion summer team to two state championships. The final American Legion state championship led to a subsequent regional championship and, ultimately, to a train trip to Hastings, Nebraska for the national playoffs. The team represented Salem well. They lost in Hastings to the eventual national champs, but it resulted in a lifelong memory for the entire team.

In addition to athletics, however, there was no part of high school, it seems, in which Tom wasn’t willing to step forward and be involved. He maintained a 3.8 grade point average and was elected the vice president of the local chapter of the National Honor Society. He also served as president of the Salem High Letterman’s Club, was a member of the Civics Club, and president of the H-Y Council. He was also recognized as Rotarian of the Month in January of his senior year.

Though his athletic accomplishments were significant, Tom remained characteristically humble—so much so that his own children would later learn of his achievements only through the stories of others. In fact, daughter Darcie recalls a trip to Bill Beard’s Sporting Goods in downtown Salem as a child - one of many - with her father and asking him why there were newspaper clippings of him hanging behind the counter. While she never got a straight answer from him, everyone who worked there was quick to regale his accomplishments. She was honestly surprised that her Dad was so reluctant to speak of his own prowess.

Following high school, Tom moved on to Oregon State College (now Oregon State University), where he joined the Beaver football team as an offensive lineman, playing for Oregon State legend Tommy Prothro. He also played first base on the freshman baseball team. He majored in Health Education and graduated in 1958. His time at OSC helped shape his lifelong commitment to education, participation, and leadership. Tom was very active in his fraternity - Sigma Nu - and all the activities they sponsored and were involved in. When you saw activities on the OSC campus, from parade floats to “Dad’s Weekend” to “Senior Weekend” to [fill in the blank], Tom had a finger in them. He was Assistant General Chairman of the ‘56 OSC “Homecoming”. He was a member of the Blue Key club that emphasized leadership, character, service to the university and community, and academic excellence. He was a committee member for the ‘56 “Dad’s Weekend”. He served as a member of, and ultimately president of the Thane Club, another service organization based on the OSU campus. He served as Chairman of the ‘57 Senior Weekend Committee, a very important event at OSU in which incoming high school seniors were hosted on the Corvallis campus. He ran and won election as the ‘57-58 vice president of the Associated Student Body.

But his experience at OSU was also deeper and more personal. Tom would meet his future wife Harriet – to whom he would be married 29 years and with whom he would have three children: Darcie, Dianna, and Danny. OSU would forever hold a special place for Tom. He was not only a very proud OSU alumnus, he was a true “Beaver Believer” for the rest of his life.

Tom began his career in education in 1958, returning home to the Salem School District, teaching physical education at Parrish Junior High School. He also coached basketball during an era when junior high athletics in Salem thrived. At the same time, during those Parrish years, he coached football and golf at what was now North Salem High School. In 1961, he again became a Viking as a full-time physical education and health teacher at his alma mater, while continuing his coaching duties and even taking on a brief stint as tennis coach.

“Natural leader” is used too often. Tom made it seem natural because he had been in front of leaders throughout his life, watched them in action, and learned their lessons. So when Tom soon moved from the classroom into administrative roles, it appeared seamless. He served as Coordinator of Cooperative Work Experience Programs before becoming Dean of Boys at North in 1966, a position that combined discipline, mentorship, and student advocacy. During this time, he also contributed to the Teacher Evaluation and Professional Standards Committee and advised the Junior High YMCA program, further demonstrating his commitment to student growth and professional excellence. In 1969 Tom was named “Outstanding Young Educator” by Salem Jaycees for his work at North Salem, including his role as advisor to the “Junior Hi-Y” program.

In 1972, Tom was named Assistant Principal at South Salem High School. (He was replacing 2023 “Community Beacon” Wes Ediger who had been named Saxon principal.) Two years later again the Vikings called. He returned to North Salem as principal, leading his alma mater with vision and compassion from 1974 to 1982. When he assumed leadership, North Salem faced one of the lowest attendance rates in the state. Through a focused effort to engage students and families and emphasize the importance of education, Tom helped raise attendance to 92 percent—an enduring testament to his belief in the value of connection and accountability.

Colleagues and students alike remember Tom as a fair, honest, and approachable leader. He encouraged innovation in teaching, supported student engagement beyond the classroom, and believed deeply in the importance of relationships. He was described by one former student as firm but fair with a twinkle in his eye”. As one colleague reflected, “He was a good listener and displayed a calming disposition…one of the top three best school administrators I have ever known.” Others noted that he was “caring, open-minded, committed to students…not afraid to say yes…more on the side of the kids.”

In 1982, Tom became the principal of Sprague High School, succeeding Bill Hanuska. He led Sprague with distinction until his retirement in 1991, concluding a remarkable 33-year career in education. He seemed everpresent, whether greeting students when they got to school, supervising athletic and other events, recognizing kids for what they had accomplished academically or otherwise. And he had a wry sense of humor that let kids know that he really was on to them. As he handed a graduating senior her diploma he told her, “I’m really going to miss seeing you sitting at your locker when you’re supposed to be in class!”. She said, “We both laughed and I told him I would miss him too.” Throughout his tenure, he remained guided by a simple but powerful philosophy: that educators should support students both inside and outside the classroom—a belief he tried to instill in every teacher he hired.

Beyond his professional life, Tom was a devoted family man who found joy in fishing, camping, and time spent with loved ones. An avid boater, he also loved being on the water as a skier. Boating and skiing became a significant focus of the Pickens' summers as the kids were growing up, creating memories at Cultus and Big Lake in Central Oregon, sometimes for two weeks at a time. There, the “teacher” in Tom shone again, as he taught many kids to ski and fish over the years.

Tom married wife Marcia in 1989, just two years prior to Tom's retirement. Marcia and Tom decided to embrace their health and traveled to several U.S. states, Canada and Europe before eventually moving to Central Oregon, where their log cabin on Big River Drive became a hub of love, warmth and hospitality for everyone who visited. Of all the destinations they traveled to over many years, however, Hawaii captured their hearts and they would eventually move there full time, living on the Big Island in Kona. When Tom's health issues became problematic, they moved back to Salem to be nearer to family and friends.

As mentioned earlier, Tom was a proud dad to Darcie, Dianna, and Dan. Darcie and Dianna followed in their dad's footsteps as educators, albeit at different levels. Oldest daughter Darcie was a long-time counselor in the SKSD, eventually becoming the head of the counseling program for the district. She retired in 2021 after 23 years. Darcie's husband Bob was also a long time teacher, coach, and administrator in the SKSD as well. Daughter Dianna, married to husband Claudio, completed her Doctorate degree in Linguistics at the European School of Advanced Studies in Naples, Italy and is currently a university professor at the University of Naples Federico II in Naples. Son Dan carried his love of boating in a professional direction by working in the high end boat industry in Roseville, California. No surprise based on those summer family outings. Upon marrying Marcia, Tom also became a proud step-dad to the Brundage clan - Cinda (Bob), David (Dameron), and Jimmy. There, too, the field of education continues with Cinda’s work as Office Manager at Lee Elementary.

Tom Pickens understood that kids with bonds to their schools grow to have a relationship with those schools. They love representing their schools and being a Viking, an Olympian, or a Saxon would increase their chances of academic success. Tom wasn’t a “manager”, he was a leader. He made it a point to “roll up his sleeves” and be involved with the teachers and coaches who stood in front of the kids he was responsible for. He understood that the football player, volleyball player, wrestler, and long distance runner with the name of their school across their chest was more likely to excel in algebra, English literature, and biology. Their sport was the “hook”. And when Principal Pickens took the time to know kids as athletes and then talk to them about it at school. He touched them and they didn’t want to let him down. He also knew that the learned lessons in teamwork, toughness, grit, dedication, and loyalty that athletics provided helped kids navigate their adult years. Tom Pickens left behind a legacy defined not by titles, accolades, or awards, but by the countless lives he helped shape. His commitment to students, his belief in education, his belief in connections and participation helped make better adults. His way may be seen as old school, out of fashion, but they shouldn’t be. And they are what made Tom Pickens a Beacon.

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Gib Gilmore is one of Salem’s most decorated athletes. He also happens to be a 2020 Beacon. He too was a Viking, albeit after Salem High became North Salem High. Gib was actually coached by Tom when he - Gib - reached North Salem. He had long admired Tom as an athlete prior to high school. More than that, Gib became a lifelong friend. Below are Gib’s recollections of his coach and friend, Tom Pickens:

“My father was the Athletic Director at Salem High School for many years. I had the good fortune of getting to go to the home varsity basketball games with my dad. Salem High had good teams and were fun to watch. The practice, back in those days, was that if you were called for a personal foul you were to raise your hand. When called for a foul, one particular Viking would raise his hand to full arm’s length above his head, fingers extended instead of sheepishly putting his hand up like most players. I asked my dad why that player did that. He said, ‘That is Tom Pickens and plays very hard and he stands out because of his energy. He’s proud of that.’ Everyone enjoyed watching his energy on offense and defense.

When I got to junior high at Parish I was proud to find out that Mr. Pickens was my PE teacher and my football coach for three years. What a treat for us kids. We all looked up to him, a former college football player at Oregon State and basketball and baseball player in high school. He coached us with the same energy that we had seen him display on the field and in the gym when he was playing. He demanded the same type of output from his junior high and high school team members.

Tom was a strict but fair disciplinarian, which we learned to appreciate from his coaching. You had to be disciplined to learn to win and improve as an athlete - all valuable principles for young athletes to incorporate for a lifetime. He coached football, junior varsity and varsity at North Salem before going to South Salem as an administrator, ultimately becoming the principal at both North Salem and Sprague. It is hard to imagine all the ways Tom fairly influenced the players and students he coached and taught, making them better players, students, and citizens. Putting his hard working style to work made us become better players throughout out careers.”

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In seeking input regarding Tom, daughter Darcie reached out via social media, because, as stated in Tom’s bio, he didn’t do a lot of talking about his past exploits, even to his family. She received many responses regarding her dad but this one was especially meaningful. The writer requested their name be kept anonymous but their experience is classic Tom:

“I adored your dad as my principal and "home room" teacher all four years at Sprague. Admittedly, I was an awful student back then, but as a standout athlete in the 80's no one seemed to pay much attention to my grades (or my partying) except him!

He was responsible for handing me my report card every semester and he never held back telling me the truth. He always made comments, like ‘Wow, what happened!’ or ‘You are capable of so much more. Do better!’ All while giving me a deeply concerned look.

Everyone else in my life was sweeping my underachieving ways under the rug. I was constantly being told I was special and could do no wrong. I even had one coach tell me I could get a full-ride to Stanford despite the fact my GPA was only a 2.30. This was such a disservice to a lost teenager with little self-esteem at the time.

I sure used to dread those moments with your dad, but looking back, what a gift he gave me! The hard truth! However, I always knew he had my back and was coming from a loving place. He knew there were deeper reasons I wasn't living up to my potential and he knew I needed that love as well.

Although I never raised my GPA in high school he certainly planted a seed that I could and should do better. Years later, long past my athletic years, I got sober and graduated from Linfield Nursing College with a 4.0. This was absolutely in part because of his words, shared disappointment, and his higher expectation of me!

I always thought how fun it would be to see his face if he ever learned that I did reach the potential he knew I had, long before I did! I can picture his big smile and how he would have been excitedly shaking my shoulders and giving me a hug.

What a great man and Beacon for sure! Feel free to share anonymously if you want to. Thank you!”

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