Who in the world is Otis Brown Overby?! For those of you that have known me from high school you know who he is and you are smiling right now!
I met Mr. Overby when I ended up taking his Draftng I class during my sophomore year at Sullivan South High. He was definitely something else. I really did not like drafting but he seemed to grow on me and I took drafting II and III. These classes took me through my senior year. The classes were two hour blocks except for the senior year which was a three hour block and the first Drafting III class that Mr. Overby taught during his teaching career.
Mr. Overby, or Brown as we called him behind his back, had been everywhere and done everything. He was in the war, maybe two, and he was an accomplished draftsman. He spoke several languages. He was also very hard on us but there was something about him that drew me to him. He became a friend. I worked for him many times at his home and even helped him move from one home to another that he and his wife Kay had built. I believe what amazed me most about him was his peculiar ability with numbers. He is one of those guys that can do long division in his head in a split second.
Mr. Overby had a strong work ethic and encouraged all his students to develop the same. The more we became friends the harder on me he became. He definitely disciplined me more than any other teacher. He always told me to keep my eyes on the horizon because that is where the bird of opportunity flies. We spent many hours working together. He always encouraged me to stay in school and further my education as far as I could go. I can't put my thumb on any one thing he said or done to influence my life. However, I believe his influence came through the consistancy he always provided.
Stay tuned for #9. Have a blessed day! Tony
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