Thursday, September 4, 2025
I am saddened to hear of Mr. Medlar’s passing. I’ll never forget the day that I tested well enough to be a part of his class. I envied classmates and cousins who “made the cut” before me, and was forever changed the day he came in to my life.
Mr. Medlar taught me to play chess, reason, learn enthusiastically and to always think deeper and outside of boxes. Who can ever forget a maiden journey to animate an airplane or play endless rounds of Jeopardy on a Commodore 64? He coached me in “Math Counts” competitions and helped me to compete in, I think it was called the “Math Bowl.” He drove me to state Math Counts competition in Louisville while quizzing me on updated arrival times with the ever-changing variables of speed, miles left and needed stops along the way. He opened my eyes to the wonders of traveling beyond the borders of our town. My family dynamic would not allow trips to Frankfort, Louisville, Washington, D.C. or any of the other wonderful adventures that his leadership afforded. So, it could be said that Mr. Medlar greatly helped to shape me in to the man I ultimately would become. I am a pastor to a church that values real family and accepts those who are simply seeking community. I am a husband to a wife who actually digs the qualities and quirks that Mr. Medlar helped to cultivate. I am a father to children who think with no boxes. I am a man hoping to leave a legacy, that in his own way, Paul Medlar helped to shape. He was a teacher, mentor, hero and friend to many. I am honored to have been counted among those he impacted so deeply. Best teacher ever is too modest for him. He was simply more.
