If Dr. Fred Obear were judged on his time in Chattanooga for his accomplishments at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alone, they would surpass any other leader the school has had since the University of Chattanooga merged with the University of Tennessee almost 60 years ago.
But he was more than that.
Obear, who died late last week, was personable. He was a fan. He knew your name. He stuck around. He smiled. He became involved in the community. He attended games. He made the city his home. He was sunshine personified.
Other UTC leaders have made significant contributions, but none lived, breathed and served the university before and after their actual time on the job than he did.
For the record, Obear was chancellor at UTC from 1981 through 1997, the longest tenure of any UTC leader since the merger. Then he returned to lead the school on an interim basis during the 2004-2005 academic year.