Stillaguamish Senior Center to honor retired Arlington educator

ARLINGTON — Dick Post doesn’t like a lot of fuss.

Next week, however, he’s just going to have to put up with it.

Post, 84, a former superintendent of the Arlington School District and a longtime volunteer, is this year’s recipient of the Stillaguamish Senior Center’s top award.

“The center is proud to give its Lifetime Achievement Award to Dick,” said Jo Olson, the center’s executive director. “He has given many, many hours for the betterment of our community.”

The award is scheduled to be presented at the annual Arlington Community Lifetime Achievement Breakfast, a fundraising event on Wednesday morning in the center’s newly renovated main hall.

Born in Everett, Post graduated from Everett High School and was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy by Henry M. Jackson, who was serving then as a member of Congress. Because of his poor vision, Post failed to meet the physical requirements of the academy, but served anyway as an Army instructor in Maryland during World War II.

At the University of Washington he earned mathematics and teaching degrees, and later got his master’s degree and superintendent’s credentials there. Early in his career, Post worked as a teacher in Wapato and Aberdeen and then as a school principal in Port Orchard.

He and his wife, Dorothy, moved to Arlington in 1971 when he accepted the school superintendent’s job. In 1978 he was named the state Superintendent of the Year and was honored again when Richard L. Post Middle School was named for him. He also played a role in the creation of the Sno-Isle Vocational Skills Center. After he retired in 1985, Post taught school administration topics at Western Washington University and helped other school districts with labor negotiations.

Post is a lifetime member of the Arlington-Smokey Point Chamber of Commerce and a longtime member of the Arlington Rotary Club, for which he served as a director, secretary and president.

He is a member of the Stillaguamish Senior Center board of directors and still serves on the board of the regional Educational Service District. He volunteers with the Arlington Education Foundation, Arlington Friends of the Library and the Byrnes Performing Arts Center Commission.

Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.

Breakfast award

Stilla­guamish Senior Center’s annual Arlington Com­mu­nity Lifetime Achievement Breakfast is scheduled for 7 to 9 a.m. Wednesday at the center, 18308 Smokey Point Blvd. For more information or reservations, call 360-653-4551.