Story and photos by Emily Ulrey
As a parent, I find it important to know the adults in my children’s lives, both in and out of school. Few adults can drop off a child in the morning, or pick them up in the afternoon and not be aware of certain people, especially one wearing a safety vest.
It’s certainly a rare thing to not be familiar with who Tim Closson is, and I find myself extremely impressed and appreciative of his efforts to assist our children as they cross the intersection in front of the Elementary School building each day.
As the end of the school year approached, I decided to sit down and talk with Mr. Closson to learn more about him. Mr. Closson was born in 1961 and grew up right here in Bluffton. He attended elementary school at Bluffton Elementary School, and later attended grades 5-8 at the old Beaverdam school building.
I told him that I really appreciated how he helped the kids cross the street safely. He said back when he was young, there were gates out across the street to stop cars, and the 4th graders were responsible for assisting the younger kids to cross. These days the gates might be gone, but Mr. Closson is there, even walking into the intersection to meet them.
He grew to love sports at a young age and some of his favorite family outings were to Detroit Tigers games. If he wasn’t watching sports, he was active in playing basketball and baseball at Bluffton High School.
He also enjoyed math and said that his favorite teacher in high school was his math teacher, Bill Herr. I asked what his favorite thing was about growing up, and he said “I just enjoyed being a kid, and enjoyed being with my friends.”
He attended Bluffton College and majored in business and education. His first job was at Bluffton College in food services, doing dishes, and later waiting tables for events. After graduating he worked for two years as an accountant before eventually taking a job as a teacher, and has held positions at various schools in addition to Bluffton, including Ada, Shawnee Middle School and Wayne Trace.
After 30 years in education, he is certainly someone who genuinely cares, and visibly loves his job, one which comes with a wide variety of responsibilities, the most important of which are the students.
He can often be found helping out in the cafeteria, and being out and about in the halls, a visible and approachable adult presence. On any given day, his pedometer counts an average of 5-7 miles and he usually hits 5,000 steps by 10:30 in the morning. An extremely active person, his life outside of school involves his family, his faith, gardening, his love for sports, and more.
As we talked, he smiled and adjusted his tie, something else that caught my eye when we sat down to chat. Over the years, he has acquired a collection of approximately 200 ties, some purchased, but most gifted to him from people, something that is a common conversation piece with the students.
When I asked him his favorite thing about his job, he replied, stating “Every day in education is different, and I enjoy having fun with the kids.” Thank you, Mr. Closson, for your dedication to our children. You are truly appreciated.
