MuskogeePhoenix.com, Muskogee, OK

Opinion

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July 18, 2012

Hearn’s legacy says volumes

— Bill Hearn’s legacy will be that his love of music will live on in the hundreds of students whose lives he touched.

Hearn, the longtime music instructor for Muskogee Public Schools, passed away recently at the age of 69.

“He had a vision for music from Muskogee that always kept us seeking,” MPS Superintendent Mike Garde said. “The choir was well known, not just in Muskogee, but across the state.”

Garde said Hearn had a way of getting the best out of his students, a trait that made Hearn a great teacher.

“He was demanding, but kind, it was obvious he loved the kids,” Garde said. “And that they loved him. He knew how to get them to the highest level possible.”

Hearn was more than a teacher, former students said.

“He was such an inspiration to so many people,” said Rebecca Yeager, a former student. “He was a wonderful teacher but so much more. He was a friend, a mentor and an obviously strong Christian man.

“I hope all of his family is comforted by the knowledge of the many lives he touched.”

In many ways we are not measured by our accomplishments on earth.

We are measured by the number of lives we have touched in a positive way.

Hearn’s career and the words of his students and colleagues speak volumes about Hearn.

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