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Timothy Gunther has been honored by the Dunkirk Board of Education.
Gunther, a teacher aide for 24 years at the district, passed away Aug. 3 at age 55. The city Board of Education approved a resolution Tuesday recognizing his service, and declaring its sadness over his passing.
The school district’s Rebecca Leone said a few words about Gunther. Leone said she had worked with him since 2017.
“My whole life I’ve believed that God did not take a cookie cutter when He created humans,” she began. “Instead He made each of us unique so the world would not be a dull place to live in. Tim Gunther was a shining example of God’s work.”
Gunther “was straight and to the point. While working with Tim, I learned he was an avid runner. We started Girls on the Run at the middle school, so he took it upon himself to give me advice all the time about running. One day, he asked me how it was going, and I had a litany of excuses for why I was struggling. I wish I could replicate his face, but he was straight and to the point — he just looked at me and goes, ‘You just need to go run.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’”
Leone called Gunther “probably the quietest person I have ever met. His reserved nature didn’t diminish his impact. He had a deep understanding of his students and was a key figure in organizing the classrooms he served, contributing to their smooth operation.”
He was “dependable… always there. I am not sure he ever missed a day of work while I worked with him.”
“I worked with Tim for many years at the school district. He was one of the kindest people you could ever meet. He always had the kids’ interest at heart,” said Claudia Sczerbacki, the Board of Education’s vice president.
