Obituary: JAlan Aufderheide, former Northern Potter School District superintendent

JAlan Aufderheide, former Northern Potter School District superintendent, affectionately known as "Dr. J", passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on February 12, 2018.  JAlan was born in Bucyrus, Ohio to Al and Geraldine Aufderheide on August 16, 1940.  He grew up in Ohio and after graduation from DeVilbiss High School in Toledo, went on to earn his teaching degree and Master's degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and his PhD degree in Education Administration from Ohio State University.  He married Karen Precht in 1961 and they had four children, Jeffrey, Kathryn, Kerry, and Jonathan.  He accepted his first teaching assignment at Whitmer High School in Washington Twp. OH, teaching Senior English and Speech and Drama.  While still in Ohio he was elected to the Presidency of the Ohio Education Association in 1970, the youngest president in their history.  He then left Ohio to accept his first superintendent position at Northern Potter School District in Ulysses, PA, where he served for five years.  His childhood desire was to move west where the sky was blue and the mountains were high, so when he was offered the superintendent position in Steamboat Springs, CO he accepted and moved the family west.  After 15 years in this position he retired for a short time, before returning to what he loved, educating kids.  He had various interim jobs as superintendent in several districts in Colorado before taking a position in Branson, where he changed the way kids were being educated in Colorado by starting the first K-12 Online School in Colorado.  While in Branson, he met and married Charlotte Poling in June of 2000.  He considered Charlotte's kids and grandkids as his own and always enjoyed being Grampa J.  When he retired from Branson he took another interim superintendent position in Trinidad, CO for a year and later served as superintendent in Maxwell, NM for three years.  He finally successfully retired in 2010.  JAlan enjoyed traveling the country with his family and learning and doing new things - and cutting wood.  He found pleasure in doing mitigation work on his property in the Santa Fe Trail Ranch near Trinidad, CO, as well as working on community projects.  He cherished time with friends and neighbors.  He is survived by his wife Charlotte, his first wife Karen Precht Kerezman, his four children, two step-children, ten grandchildren, six step-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.  A celebration of his life was held on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Fisher's Peak Community Church in Trinidad, CO.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to Sangre De Christo Hospice, Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center, The Soup Kitchen, Noah's Ark, or the charity of your choice.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfuneralhome.com.