TAMPA, Fla. — Frank George isn't sure which major milestone is his favorite.
Maybe it's sinking eight hole-in-ones. Yes, eight!
Or maybe it's winning three state championships as iconic golf coach at Tampa's Chamberlain High School, where he worked for 30 years.
Or maybe it's being named Coach of the Decade by local papers during the 1990s.
Or maybe, just maybe, it's his latest triumph, a beautiful award he won just one month shy of his 89th birthday.
Frank is Hillsborough County's Substitute Teacher of the Year.
"You know, I see a lot of people who are 60 that look 100!" the 88-year-old says about his refusal to quit doing what he loves. "They don't do anything. You have to keep busy. And this has kept me young."
Frank has been a teacher for six decades, including epic stints in both Illinois and Florida. He's been a sub for about the past 20 years, many of those gigs at Plant High School.
Here in the Sunshine State, he's seen such luminaries as Tampa Mayor Jane Castor pass through his Chamberlain High classroom.
He says his secret to communicating with kids is simple and sincere.
"If they know you're being honest with them, they'll be honest and truthful with you," George says. "They can spot a phony from a long ways away."
With his wife Susanna by his side, and a close relationship to St. Joseph Catholic Church, Frank has no plans on slowing down.
"Oh, I'll be around for a little while longer," George says with a smile.
