Remembering Tony Boles…

By Debbie Gregory

I’ve known Tony Boles for many years, and I remember his dad, the late Harvey Boles, who was good friends with my Dad, the late Charlie Gregory. I recall how sad my dad was when Harvey died, and I am equally saddened by Tony’s death. Sometimes life just slips up on us, and someone we know – is suddenly gone.

Although Tony wasn’t born in Macon County, you never would have known it. He was an all around good guy who was dedicated to Red Boiling Springs and the entire county. He was the type of man that was easy to look up to and he was deeply respected.

Tony graduated from Red Boiling Springs High School in 1980 and Tennessee Tech University in 1984, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree. Tony and his wife, Jeanne, moved to Loudon, Tn. in 1985, where he taught and coached at Loudon High School. But they returned to Macon County in 1987, and he served as a loan officer and branch manager at Citizens Bank until 1996. Tony returned to teaching that year and he taught hundreds of students for almost two decades at Red Boiling Springs High School. 

In 2014, Tony was named the new Director of Macon County Schools, and he told the Macon County Chronicle that he was excited to get to work in this new position and that he would do his best to lead our school system. “We’ve already got a good school system in place and I only hope to continue improving it,” Tony said. He served in that position for eight years, and then another two years as the Career & Technical Education Director in Macon County.

Funeral services for Tony will be conducted today, Tuesday, August 6, at 4:00 p.m., from the Red Boiling Springs High School, by Reverend Joe West and Hugh Wayne Clark. Burial will follow in the Bethany Cemetery.

The Macon County Chronicle would like to extend our deepest condolences to Tony’s family – it’s hard to say goodbye to such a special person.

Rest in peace Tony, we will never forget you.

 (See complete obituary on B-10)

The following was written by Red Boiling Springs English teacher Tammy Marlow on behalf of the school and the employees who knew and loved him…. 

By Tammy Marlow

Many words will be used to describe Tony Boles – husband, father, grandfather, friend, teacher, coach, and leader. He wore all of these titles with honor and pride. He was also a man very proud of where he was from – a small school in a rural county of Tennessee- a place he represented passionately. For many years, he poured his heart and soul into the school mentoring students and working as part of a collaborative staff. Coach Boles was always happy to see a former player or student succeed and had many of these grow into friends. He was always happy to see you wherever you ran into him and he greeted you with a boisterous hello, smile, and often a joke. He was also always there to listen and offer advice when problems arose. Tony was someone you could count on.

It is with sadness that we say goodbye to our friend. It is also with love that we remember the friendship we shared with him. It is with honor that we revere the opportunity to learn from his example. It is with respect we recall the man he was. It is with gratefulness that we appreciate the fact that he was part of our lives. 

Tony Boles will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by many. Red Boiling Springs School is proud to call him one of ours.