Tom Wagner of Pettisville is a man on the move, and he will soon help county seniors keep moving by driving one of the Senior Center’s buses for day trips.
“I first stopped by the Senior Center in the summer of 2021, when I was participating in the partnership between the Senior Center and Das Essen Haus restaurant,” he said.
Tom stopped by to pick up meal vouchers and has been a regular for lunch at the Fulton County Senior Center site in Wauseon since it fully re-opened following the pandemic.
Tom, a native of Swanton and a graduate of Swanton High School, class of 1972, was once the youngest school board member in Ohio, having served one term on the Swanton Board of Education from 1973 to 1977, shortly after graduating from high school.
Tom coached track and cross country at Pettisville School for 37 years and taught there for 36 years. “Pettisville didn’t have a track at the time, and I wanted our cross country runners, especially, to experience a variety of terrains. So, I got my bus driver’s license and drove them to local parks such as Oak Openings and Harrison Lake,” Tom said, adding, “That’s where my bus driving got its start. I am looking forward to driving for the Senior Center.”
Tom, an experienced runner himself, has completed dozens of races. “I’ve run the Toledo Marathon two times, the Chicago Marathon three times, and the Columbus and Detroit Marathons one time each. I’ve also done many half marathons including the Columbus Half three times and the Chicago Half two times,” Tom said.
A back injury last summer forced him to take a break from running. “I still like to keep moving. I am trying to get back to jogging and walking longer distances. I go to Goll Woods, near Archbold, nearly every day, and sometimes to Oak Openings,” Tom said.
Tom also enjoys cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes and spending time with his girlfriend and his family. Tom has two children, six grandchildren and a seventh grandchild due in September.
