The Town of Tillsonburg has named retired educator and longtime volunteer Scott Gooding as the community’s 2026 Citizen of the Year. The award, selected by the Cultural, Heritage and Special Awards Advisory Committee, honours residents who make significant contributions to the town without expecting personal gain.
Gooding is being recognized for a lifetime of service, which includes 36 years as an educator. He spent 34 of those years at Glendale High School, where he taught subjects ranging from history to physical education and provided English and Math instruction for special education students for over two decades. His dedication to students extended well beyond the classroom, as he served as a coach for hockey, ringette, and soccer teams for nearly 30 years. His impact on the school community was so significant that the Scott Gooding Spirit Award was established there in his honour.
Since retiring in 2020, Gooding has remained an active volunteer. He helped start the Friends of Glendale Committee, which is currently in its third year of supporting student activities and scholarships. He also continues to give back through his roles on the Tillsonburg Youth Advisory Council and the Recreation and Sports Advisory Committee. Additionally, he has dedicated 25 years to coaching minor soccer, volunteered for more than a decade with the Tillsonburg Skating Club, and served as a canvasser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Beyond his local work, Gooding has raised nearly $50,000 for the SickKids Foundation through six years of participating in the Great Cycle Challenge. He is motivated by the memory of his mother, Betty Gooding, and his late friend Mike Mahrt, both of whom passed away from cancer.
The town will present the award to Gooding on the evening of June 9, 2026. The ceremony will take place at the Lion’s Den, located in the Tillsonburg Community Centre at 45 Hardy Avenue.
