When Aurora Heights Elementary School students were asked to write and/or draw something in remembrance of guidance counselor Tim Trier on Wednesday, Principal Jim Gilbert said the responses were far more than routine.
"It was not a cursory obligation to them," Gilbert said regarding Aurora Heights students, whose only counselor, Trier, died Tuesday of cancer at age 61. "What they put on paper was from their hearts. He really connected with the kids."
In recent years, Trier was a guidance counselor and coordinator of student council and other extra-curricular activities and events at Aurora Heights, a coach of multiple sports in the school district and the public address announcer at Newton Cardinal football games. However, he is was probably best known as a Hall of Fame announcer at Knoxville Raceway, where he called races from 1979 to 1992 and again during the 1999 season.
After high school, he worked at Joel Johnson car dealership as a mechanic. He then went on to work in the IT Departments at the Maytag Company and Iowa Telecom. The 1972 Prairie City High School graduate has family in central Iowa, including, his brother, Mick, who lives in Ankeny and who notified the schools late Tuesday that Tim had passed away earlier in the day.
Trier had been battling cancer since at least last summer, Gilbert said, but didn't miss significant work because of it, and he was at school as recently as last week. He was receiving chemotherapy on a regular outpatient basis.
Newton Schools Superintendent Bob Callaghan said Gilbert informed the Aurora Heights staff with phone calls late Tuesday. Wednesday, the Aurora Heights staff met as a large group before students arrived, and students were then told of Trier's passing by their individual teachers in their classroom settings.
Counselors were on hand to provide grief counseling. Gilbert said many of the students were visibly upset.
Gilbert pointed to art and writing that comprises a wall of honor created around Trier's office door as an indication of the love and respect they have for the counselor. Students are also working on a PowerPoint presentation.
Gilbert, who added the Aurora Heights principal position to his duties as district K-8 curriculum director at the beginning of this school year, didn't know Trier well, but said he was honored to work with an educator who not only drew strength from the students, but also seemed to give students strength as well.
"We're talking about a man who would find out who were the neediest families around, and personally deliver food to them on Thanksgiving and Christmas," Gilbert said. "He talked about his cat, and animal welfare was one of his causes. He helped fund the training for Smokey (The Newton Police K-9 dog), and we're going to pick up that cause for him."
The Aurora Heights Facebook page acknowledged Trier's passing with a post Wednesday evening. Parents were notified of Trier's passing by the district on Thursday morning.
Newton High School Activities Director Scott Garvis said Trier has coached football, basketball, and track, going back to about 1987. For the past eight years or so, he has coached only basketball at Newton High, though he remained involved with sports in other ways, such as helping with home track meets and scorekeeping for varsity basketball.
Knoxville Speedway historian Bob Wilson said Trier not only announced winners and placers at a pace that made it easy to make notes on a program, but he also had a voice that was a natural gift for announcing races.
"His voice was so inviting to all sorts of people," Wilson said. "Adults looked up to him, but kids really looked up to him, and he loved kids. When he finally got the degree that allowed him to be a counselor, he was finally in his own heaven."
Through racing, Trier touched the lives of many — even those who weren't necessarily close to him.
"I didn't know him well, but I'm a huge Sprint car fan," Newton native Craig Miller Jr. said. "I remember him announcing at Knoxville Raceway for years. He had some great catchphrases when he would announce. I just remember him as a good dude."
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory in Newton. The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday.
Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com