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Educator was selfless with his kids Retiree Chuck Thomas killed in airplane crash By KELLY STEWART A Medford resident who was killed in a Civil Air Patrol plane crash Saturday was a longtime educator remembered for his work behind the scenes to help children. Chuck Thomas, 70, worked with the English as a Second Language program and learning-disabled students at Washington and Jackson elementary schools from 1972 to 1997. "He helped a lot of people, but you would have never known he did it," said Carol Hearns, a second-grade teacher at Washington school who had worked with Thomas since 1980. Thomas didn't like to take credit for his good works with children, she said. Thomas and his wife, Billianne, were just beginning their retirement. Thomas was flying the single-engine Cessna that crashed in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon. The plane departed Baker City on a training mission and failed to return from its scheduled 90-minute flight. Also killed in the crash was Emil Veer, 70, of Salem. Thomas' colleagues remembered him as a man of many talents. His stepdaughter, Meggan Jensen, said he loved to fly. "He was one of the most generous people I've ever known, but he did it silently," Hearns said. "He absolutely adored children. He could tease the daylights out of them, but at the same time demand respect." Ann Manes, an ESL teacher at Washington, observed Thomas' skills in getting children of different backgrounds to share and work together. "He was a man who built community within the school," Manes said. As a child, Thomas' Portuguese background set him apart from other youngsters, Manes said. In his years as a teacher, his background allowed him to better understand students who did not speak English as a first language. "He will be greatly missed by many people who were fortunate enough to work with him," Manes said. "He was a wonderful man with a big heart." In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, Medford schools superintendent Steve Wisely recalled observing Thomas in the classroom. "I found a man who loved his work," Wisely said. "He liked to deal with youngsters for whom learning was difficult. He was enthusiastic, and he loved youngsters." Jensen remembers her stepfather as "a great man." "He was the kindest man in the world, and he meant a lot to a lot of people," she said. "We'll miss him." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA