Such sad news today to hear the great Richard Casavant has passed away. He was a mountain of wisdom, patience, and good counsel in so many areas of our lives.
My wife and I first met Richard through his first wife, Wendy after we moved to Signal Mountain in 1997 when he was serving on the Signal Mountain Town Council and Wendy was leading the Signal Mountain Elementary School PTA. The two of them were great examples of selfless giving to the community.
After replacing Paul Nolan, another great former Signal Mountain county commissioner, who had the vision to set aside the land on Shackleford Ridge for a future Signal Mountain High School, Richard helped to pave the way for the funding and construction of Nolan Elementary, replacing the beloved, but outdated and outgrown Signal Mountain Elementary and Bachman Schools. The county required the mountain top community to fund much of Nolan’s furniture, playground equipment, and other items. We all came through to make Nolan Elementary a vibrant part of our community.
Perhaps Richard’s most significant contribution to the community were his efforts to make Signal Mountain High School a reality. A dream of some in the community for decades, the effort really got moving in the mid-90’s. Richard guided the County Commission and influenced the School Board through rancorous politics, delicate funding requirements, and often petty arguments as several grass roots community groups supported the efforts to create a high school on the mountain and complete our community. Richard worked endless hours advising us to the best path toward making the school become a reality. After the school board created a two-year delay in the approval of the school by extending our controversial school superintendent’s contract, in 2005 we got back on track. An agreement by the towns of Walden and Signal Mountain to provide $10 million in additional funding to the High School construction passed in a referendum vote and we were on our way. The funding was approved in 2005 and the school opened in 2008. While the building of the high school was truly a community effort, if there was one person who could be credited with making it happen and being the champion of the school, it was Richard Casavant. I hope the families who enjoy the benefits of Signal Mountain High School appreciate Richard’s role in their family’s education.
I stayed friends with Richard after those times; he and his beautiful wife Jane continued to be a key part of the community after his service on the County Commission and before he moved to Atlanta. Richard advised my oldest daughter to study accounting at the business school at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – a decision that proved to be valuable to her as she works in Chattanooga’s foremost accounting firm. Okay, I almost got through this tribute almost without saying anything about his role leading UTC’s business school for so many years.
Rest in peace Richard Casavant. You truly were a great man and we are all better as a result of your life.
Bob Linehart