Hackettstown High School dedicates football field press box to former principal
Thursday, October 06, 2011
By Tom Rowan Jr. | The Express-Times
Patricia Cashill-Takeuchi couldn't have her wedding in the fall. Her late father, William F. Cashill, didn't want to miss calling a Hackettstown High School football game.
"It may have conflicted with the football schedule," Cashill-Takeuchi said Thursday night, fondly remembering his passion for the Tigers.
She remembered another time when her father got into a car crash on the way to the stadium. He came and announced the game anyway.
"And then went to the hospital," she said, adding he knew where to place the blame for the collision: "'That woman going to the yard sale,' he would always say."
William Cashill's family gathered Thursday night at Hackettstown High School's Morrison Field before the varsity football game between the Tigers and the Newton High School Braves, a game won by Hackettstown, 35-0. The school held a dedication ceremony for the press box where the former principal called thousands of games, renamed in his honor.
His only sister, Maureen Cashill-Brady, said, "It was an amazing tribute to an amazing man."
The family gathered onto the track encircling the turf field, behind the Tigers sideline, as the team's current announcer paid tribute to their loved one.
A black tarp was pulled away to reveal Cashill's name displayed brightly against the white-painted wood of the press box.
Under his name was Cashill's favorite Latin phrase: "Qui Audet, Vincit" or "Who Dares, Wins."
Cashill, who was principal of Hackettstown High School for more than 20 years, served as the public-address announcer for Tigers football games for more than 30 years. He was also the voice of the wrestling team, Cashill-Takeuchi said.
"I just really wish he was here to see it," Bob Cashill, William's brother, said. "One, I think it's great that they did it, and two, I think it's wonderful that they invited us and it was done top of the line."
William Cashill, who died in 2009, served Hackettstown High School as a guidance counselor, coach, principal and mentor from 1967 through 1999.
In a news release from the school district, Cashill was described as having "believed in a strong academic program intertwined with athletics and co-curricular programs."
Maybel Cashill, William Cashill's widow, isn't much of a talker, she said. Her brother-in-law, Bob Cashill, decided to speak for her.
He put his hands together and gazed at the sky.
"He loved the town, the community and the people, and this is a fitting memorial to those that weren't lucky enough to have known him," Bob Cashill said.