Many in the Reeltown community will remember Charles Boles, a long-time bus driver of Reeltown schools who died Sept. 6.
Reeltown Elementary School second grade teacher Stacey Gibson said she remembers Boles when she was a student at Reeltown and during her early teaching career as well.
“He was just fun, he kidded with kids a lot,” Gibson said. “I noticed on a couple of pages where his obituary was posted, the older kids that have already graduated that have started families, they reminisce about being on his bus. He drove a route up by the lake and they would always stop at Walnut Hill and get biscuits in the morning before they came to school.”
Gibson said Reeltown is a family. When she saw the obituary she wanted to make sure the schools honored him. Part of his request instead of flowers was to send donations to the Lake Martin Animal Sanctuary. Gibson coordinated for both RES and RHS to collect donations at the front office, and RHS principal Audrey Stockdale spread the reach more by putting out a post on Facebook.
“We didn’t want to forget him,’ Gibson said. “He is a part of the Reeltown family. I wanted him to be remembered by our staff, by our faculty, by our community. He kept a lot of people safe, made sure they got to school, made sure they got back home to their parents.”
Former RHS graduate and current instructor at Edward Bell Career Tech Tabatha Smith said she remembers riding on Boles’s bus when her bus driver needed a substitute, and he was a faithful supporter of all things RHS. He even drove the band buses as well as the regular school day buses.
Reeltown High School bookkeeper Nancy Baker said she has known him since she started at the school as a secretary in 2003.
“He was a very kind man, but you knew where he stood,” Baker said. “Sometimes he would say things, nothing ugly, but he told you how he felt. The main thing I remember about him of all things is he was dedicated to the school and these children, but when it came January he was going to take some time off because he was an avid hunter.”
Baker said his kindness and his spunkiness will always be remembered by those who knew him.
