Robert Yearout

WYOMING - Robert A. Yearout served as superintendent of the Wyoming City School District from 1991 to 1996.

The longtime educator was also a teacher, a guidance counselor, a principal and an advocate for science and math education.

But friends, family and former students say he was mostly a problem solver and compassionate listener.

Mr. Yearout, 68, died Jan. 13 from a blood clot after knee replacement surgery. He had retired in December after 40 years in education.

Early in his career, Mr. Yearout taught at Taylor High in North Bend, and was a counselor at Hughes, Walnut Hills and Wyoming high schools.

After 21 years at Wyoming City Schools, including five as superintendent, Mr. Yearout helped form High AIMS, a consortium of 22 area school districts that supports and trains teachers to excel in science and math education.

Colleagues and former students say he touched many people.

Kevin Bates, a 1978 Wyoming graduate and football standout, recalled when he was being recruited. For weeks he agonized over whether to attend the University of Michigan or Stanford University.

Bates visited Mr. Yearout, a Michigan graduate. Mr. Yearout rolled up two blank sheets of paper and held them out to Bates, telling him to imagine himself leaving college and heading to his first job interview. Which diploma did he want to take with him, Mr. Yearout asked.

Bates picked Stanford. Today, Bates develops and builds research and development buildings in Silicon Valley. He's grateful to Mr. Yearout for reminding him to put education first and football second.

"He always had kids' best interests at heart," Bates said.

As Wyoming's superintendent, Mr. Yearout led two successful levy campaigns, reorganized the district and oversaw 30 percent enrollment growth.

Bob Carovillano, principal of Wyoming's primary schools and a friend for more than 30 years, said Mr. Yearout was a popular superintendent who managed to win consensus from passionate and sometimes dissonant groups of parents and community members.

"He was a very intelligent problem solver," he said. "In all the years we worked together I've never heard a person speak badly of him."

Mr. Yearout, the son of a nurse and an oil refinery worker, grew up in Bridgetown and was inspired by an eighth-grade teacher to pursue a teaching career.

He graduated from Western Hills High. He received his bachelor's in English in 1964 and a master's in guidance and counseling in 1966 from Miami University in Oxford.

Throughout his career, he tried to expand educational opportunities for students to take college-level classes. He wanted more students to believe they could go to college, said his daughter Kate Rummer of Wyoming.

While principal at Wyoming, he earned a doctorate in education leadership from the University of Cincinnati in 1988.

He left Wyoming in 1996 and taught at Miami University and consulted. He became executive director of the Council on Academic Excellence and later High AIMS.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his wife, Cathy Yearout; another daughter, Sarah Williams of Wyoming; a son, Chris Yearout of Scottsdale, Ariz.; a sister, Kay Rembold of Boca Grande, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.

Services have been held.

Memorials: Robert A. Yearout Aim High Fund, c/o Wyoming School Foundation, 420 Springfield Pike, Suite K, Cincinnati, OH 45215.

By Denise Smith Amos • damos@enquirer.com