Long time Akin Educator Dave Dorton retires

by Steve Dunford 

Long time educator Dave Dorton on his last day of teaching with Akin Teacher of teaching with former teacher and co-worker Nancy Williams. (She retired last year)

I came across this picture on Facebook this evening.  There are some people that you can not talk to for a long time and when you cross paths, you might have a long conversation.  One of those individuals is Dave Dorton.

The Whittingon resident is one of those individuals that I have crossed paths with several times in life.  I worked with his kids at McDonalds in West City. as a teenager and in college.  We worked as an officiating basketball together.    As extra income, I spent a lot of time subbing at Akinm on days off in jobs that I had, and during layoffs, when I worked at Bombardier boats.

Dave was facing a change in career that several men and women experienced in Southern Illinois during the early 90’s when the mines went down.  He worked for Inland Steel which later became Consol.  He kept his miners hat and a miners bucket in the classroom.

I remember when he was hired at Akin, I had a conversation with his wife, Marna Jean, who was a long time assistant manager at Walmart in West City.  She said he waited to be called coach his entire life.

Dave served as head basketball coach at Akin Grade School for several years.  He later became the head coach at Galatia High School, and served on the coaching staff at Johnston City as well.  He has been the long time athletic director at Akin as well.

He also found time to work in the Sporting Goods department at Walmart in West City as well during the summers and on evenings and weekends when he was coaching.

Enjoy your retirement Dave.