Henry William Thew, 83, long time educator at Crane, passed away Jan. 8, surrounded by his loving family. Bill was a teacher — first, last, and always.

Bill was born Aug. 22, 1936, to Lt. Commander Henry and Imogene Thew in Long Beach, Calif., the oldest of four siblings. He was raised in Southern California, graduating from Helix High School in La Mesa, Calif. He met and married his wonderful wife of 64 years, Ann, and together they raised four children.

He joined the Army in 1956, serving in Korea. Honorably discharged, he left the military knowing what he wanted to do with his life — teach. So, with a plan, he moved his young family to Cove, where his parents and siblings lived, and attended Eastern Oregon College (now University) in La Grande. He majored in education, played center for the football team, pitched pea vines in the Pendleton area to make ends meet, and graduated in 1963.

English, history, and football were ways to educate young people to think things through, to think for themselves, to learn to stand by their principles and ethics, to be able to find and use new information. He especially noticed and encouraged young people who might not have thought of themselves as students, but who had inquisitive spirits and a will to stretch and learn. He was motivational to his students and his children, who were, all four, also his students. And, he was respected and enjoyed by the community, who still tell stories of him, and on him, through several generations. “Mr. Thew” impacted students’ lives in Forest Grove (1963-67), Union (1967-69), Prineville (1969-70), and for 33 years in Crane (1970-2003).

Mr. Thew became superintendent/principal of CUHS in 1982, reluctantly giving up his classroom teaching, but not his students or his sports teams. When he officially retired from administrative work in 1991, he returned to classroom teaching full force, enjoying it until he finally, fully, retired in 2003.

World travel wasn’t of much interest to Bill, but going nowhere real fast definitely was. He raced at Portland International Raceway and hill climbs in sports cars of various classifications in the 1960s, and then again starting in the 1980s, ending his track time in 2018 when he was 82. The summers between the car racing years, he spent racing motorcycles and running his Packrat Cycle business. Most of his free time in retirement was spent tinkering with the mechanics of his race cars, right up until the last few days of his life.

Bill was a voracious reader of nearly everything and enjoyed discussing philosophy, ethics, morals, religion, and politics. He wasn’t a black-and-white thinker, and he was sometimes a devil’s advocate. He wanted to think and he wanted those he talked with to think. His ethics and principles were not something he could put aside. As a parent, Bill was pretty much the same person as the teacher. You knew where you stood with him without a whole lot of talking. He was fair, he was inspirational, he was loving.

Bill is survived by his wife, Ann; children, Vanessa (Dan) Thompson, Victoria (David) Crawford, Bruce (Debbie) Thew, and Rise (Kevin) Thew Forrester; siblings, Richard (Kathy) Thew, David (Carol Anne) Thew, and Lucy Strandlien; those that called him “Grandfather”, Nathan (Sarah) Thompson, Nickie (Mike) Sanchez, Barry (Kim) Crawford, Wyeth (Edith) Crawford, Brian Braasch, Dallas Thew, Cody Braasch, Miriam Thew Forrester, and Liam Thew Forrester; six great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Imogene Thew; and brother-in-law, Scott Strandlien. He lives on in all those touched by his life.

In lieu of flowers, there is an educational scholarship being established at the Harney County Support Our Students in Bill’s name. Any donations may be sent to Crane Union High School, PO Box 828, Crane OR 97732, Attention Glennie Cargill.