Apollo honors first superintendent, adds to hall of fame

LIMA — Fred Goare had a vision and dream for the Apollo Career Center. He saw much of what he envisioned happen before his death in 1991. Today, his family sees even more of it.

“If he were here today he would say that Apollo is everything he thought it could be,” his daughter, Laurie Swick, said Thursday.

The late superintendent was recognized with the Legacy Award at the school's All Area Boards meeting. The dinner meeting is held each year with member districts to celebrate National Career Technical Education Month.

Goare had been a superintendent for 23 years, including at Elida schools, when he was named Apollo's first superintendent in 1973. The appointment came even before there was a school building. Goare, whose office was at Bath Middle School, and his team of six people worked tireless on the new school building project. The building was completed at the end of 1975.

The school is more than he would have ever dreamed, Swick said.

“He would have never dreamed that the adult-education program would be what it is today,” she said. “He would be so proud of all the people here and all the hard work they have put in.”

The Legacy Award was unveiled at last year's meeting when the school celebrated its 35th anniversary. It is fitting for Goare to get the award, Superintendent Judy Wells said.

“It is Mr. Goare's legacy,” she said. “He was the one who did all the groundwork. He was the one who truly set the mission. And we have carried forth his vision and mission for 36 years now.”

Michael Blake and Kathy Thompson entered the school's hall of fame Thursday. Blake is a 1981 welding graduate from Bluffton. For the past 13 years, he has owned Top Weld Man in Celina. He wants to someday be a welding instructor.

“To be able to pass on what was given to me when I was here at the school,” he said, adding that he most remembers the tightknit group of students in the program. “It meant everything for us to be here and have the opportunity, and we bawled our eyes out when we left.”

Thompson is a 1985 diversified health occupations graduate from Shawnee. She worked for 25 years in the medical field before retiring. She worked as a certified phlebotomist for Applied Para Professionals and Medi-Lab. She also owns her own company and drives a bus for Elida schools.

Wells said the hall of fame is an important part of the meeting, to recognize the inductees and give current students something to strive for.

“They have taken what they learned here and contributed back into the community,” she said. “It is good for our current students to see that list of alumni. … It kind of gives you something to shoot for.”

Paul Parthemore, a junior from Bath, earned this year's Charles M. Hankish Jr. Student Citizen of the Year award. Hankish was one of Apollo's founding board members who served as president from 1981 to 1995.

Paul, the son of Paul and Jodi Parthemore, is enrolled in the school's commercial foods/hospitality program. He is in Bath's marching and pep bands and volunteers at his church. Instructors said Paul is a role model for other students and comes to school with a positive attitude every day.

Apollo also recognized outgoing board member Rob McPheron. He has represented Bath schools on the board for more than eight, serving on numerous boards and committees.

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