Several members of the Catasauqua Area School District retired at the end of the 2017-18 school year.

There were two members of the transportation department who retired - Sam Burrows and Thomas Eroh.

Burrows has been a bus driver for eight years. He said he has enjoyed watching the students grow from their first day on the bus to his last day behind the wheel. He particularly enjoyed transporting the teams to sporting events and getting to watch them compete.

His biggest challenge as a bus driver was keeping an eye on the students while simultaneously keeping an eye on the road.

“You can’t believe the number of motorists who go through red lights and cut you off just to beat the bus,” he said.

Safety was always his primary concern.

He said he will miss the other drivers, support staff and the students he bonded with over the years.

During retirement, Burrows plans to catch up on work around the house. He is excited to spend more time with his grandchildren and to follow them in their school sports and activities.

He has enjoyed his time with the CASD.

“Being a graduate from Catty, it was my pleasure to transport and help protect students who are from families of my friends and former classmates,” he added.

Thomas Eroh has worked as a school bus driver in the district for six years.

He has enjoyed driving to other schools for sporting events and learning about the different areas. Driving teams to sporting events was one of his favorite tasks.

His favorite memories are when he would see a student out in public. He loved greeting them and getting to meet their families. He enjoyed the community aspect of the district.

According to Eroh, his biggest challenge was driving the bus while controlling the students and making sure everyone is safe.

He will miss the friendship with the other drivers, as well as his friendships with the students.

Eroh plans to spend his retirement working on his favorite hobbies and spending time with his family.

Editor’s note: See next week’s Catasauqua Press for an additional feature on retirees.