Van Buren remembers Cassie Ohlrich

VAN BUREN — Van Buren Local Schools is mourning the loss of longtime STEM and gifted education teacher Cassie Ohlrich, whose influence on the community spans decades and will continue for years to come. Ohlrich, 54, died July 19 following medical complications from an open heart surgery. She had been teaching through most of the 2024–25 school year, with her surgery in April leading to several complications over the summer. "Cassie meant the world to VB and was engaged in many roles that were vital to our success," said Van Buren Elementary School Principal Michael Newcomer. "She cared deeply about the students, staff and families and this showed through her hard work and dedication." A graduate of Kent State University, Ohlrich spent more than 30 years at Van Buren Schools as a gifted and STEM educator. She was most known for her commitment to hands-on, student-driven learning, where she encouraged students in her gifted program to explore independently and creatively. "What stood out the most about Cassie's approach to teaching and working with gifted students was the desire to give students a say in how they learned and guided them and pushed them to find new areas that engaged them," Newcomer said. Ohlrich was pivotal in securing major grants and launching innovative programming throughout the district. In February, she helped the school receive $12,925 grant funding from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation through its Building Community through Neighborhood Revitalization initiative. The funding helped support student-led service projects, beautifying public spaces and strengthening ties between students and the community. "She was vital in securing multiple grants for the district that helped teachers provide more opportunities in their classroom," Newcomer said. Ohlrich's other initiatives included the Knight's Fest celebration, the creation of the school's Medieval Gardens and the Van Buren Schools Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds to support teacher innovation and student opportunity at Van Buren. "Cassie was instrumental in securing the grants and guiding the staff in the creation of our Medieval Gardens," Newcomer said. "She helped staff create student centered activities that connected them to the gardens and gave all involved ownership and pride in the gardens." The Education Foundation was a passion project for Ohlrich. Due to her efforts, the foundation awarded two teacher grants this year, totaling $2,398.82. Intervention specialist Brianne Greer received a $498.82 grant to develop an interdependent task box center and TESOL Coordinator Mackenzie Leonard received a $1,900 grant for translating devices. "The VB Foundation Education came to fruition through her hard work of establishing positive community relationships and staff collaboration to eventually provide grants to staff and scholarships for students in the future," Newcomer said. Beyond the classroom, Ohlrich coached golf for 15 years at Arcadia and Van Buren Schools. According to her family's blog, she was known to be a woman of faith who found joy in game nights with her family, and competitive sports such as tennis and pickleball. "She was a wealth of knowledge that helped guide VB to provide services to all students and was always happy to help anyone, student or staff," Newcomer said. "Her legacy will live on through the countless positive impacts she had on VB." Van Buren Schools is offering talking points, resources and guidance counselors during this time to students who may be struggling with her loss. "The school understands how much Cassie meant to students, staff, and the community and will be missed dearly," Newcomer said. An open house celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 2 from 2-4 p.m. at the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the VB Educational Foundation or St. Marks United Methodist Church of Findlay. Ohrlrich is survived by her husband of 31 years, Kurt Robert Ohlrich; their sons, Cole Robert Ohlrich (Brianne) and Connor James Ohlrich; her mother, Jackie Cole; grandmother, Willie Mae Guillory; and brother, Jace Cole (Peter). She also leaves behind her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Robert and Jene Ohlrich, and was preceded in death by her father, James Cole.