School recalls 'quiet leader'
By Jill Gosche, jgosche@advertiser-tribune.com
School personnel remembered a Hopewell-Loudon High School senior killed in a crash as an excellent student and athlete and a quiet leader who led by example.
Ian Kuhn, who died about two months before his high school graduation, was a starter on the baseball and football teams and was involved in the agricultural program, Students Against Destructive Decisions and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. He was an honor roll student who was planning to study engineering at the University of Toledo.
Superintendent Geoff Palmer described Ian as a significant member of the school and community.
He said Ian was an excellent student and athlete, earning multiple letters and all-league recognition in football and baseball. Also, he was named a first-team All-Ohio football player earlier this school year and earned a National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award.
"He was a fine young man, a quiet leader who never made excuses or looked for an easy way out," he said. "He was respected by his peers, as well as the teaching and coaching staff. He was the type of young man you want to be around. His classmates and teammates will remember him for his encouragement, toughness and constant support of
his younger brother Austin."
Austin, a 15-year-old H-L freshman, said Ian was strong and always taught him how to be strong and do what's right. He said Ian was there for him.
"He always taught me how to do something right if I was doing it wrong," he said.
Austin wears No. 53 on the Chieftain football team and also plays on the defensive and offensive lines, like his brother. He said he loves his brother and watched him at every football game. He and Ian, who wore No. 56 for the Chieftain football team, played catch or baseball, or would fish and hunt together.
"We always had a good time together," Austin said.
Ian was an offensive and defensive tackle who started for two years and played in both state championship games.
Brian Colatruglio, H-L's football coach, said he thinks people involved in the football program will remember Ian for his toughness and work ethic.
"He was a quiet leader. He wasn't overly vocal, but he was a leader by example, somebody that other kids were drawn to," he said. "He's one of the toughest kids that I ever coached."
The coach said Ian broke his wrist the first day of camp, played the season with a cast and was putting off surgery until after baseball because he didn't want to miss the season.
Colatruglio said Ian almost didn't play in November's state championship game because of an infected cyst. Ian was getting discharged from the hospital Thanksgiving morning, the day the football team left for its game, which was the following day in Massillon.
"He didn't practice a single day (that week)," he said. "There's no way that he wasn't going to be out there with his teammates. ... He didn't go out there for himself."
Emily Kuhn, Ian's older sister who is studying at Stautzenberger College, said this year, she likely got to attend at least half of Ian's regular-season football games and attended all of the playoff games.
"It was great (to watch him play)," she said. "He always would tell me about everything."
Emily, a 2007 H-L graduate, recalled her whole family being on the football field when the team won a regional game.
"It was just a proud moment," she said.
Emily said she learned from Ian not to take things for granted.
"He was gone before I had a chance to say goodbye," she said.
Palmer said late-night telephone calls were made to the staff Thursday, and the district had a staff meeting in the auditorium. At the start of the day, announcements were made at the high school and middle school end of the building about the accident, and a moment of silence was observed. Also, information about counselors and support available throughout the building was provided.
"We had area school counselors that volunteered to come over, and we had some area clergy also available," Palmer said.
"We're trying to hold some normalcy to the day, but it is one of those that we have to maintain a lot of flexibility."
Palmer said the building had a lot of students who either didn't come in to school or went home throughout the day. The day had an empty feeling, he said.
"Ian's family and the other two individuals involved and their families are in the thoughts and prayers of the Hopewell-Loudon School community," he said.
