Tim Rubino passed away unexpectedly on December 3, 2024, at his South Carolina home, at the age of 74. The Rubino family had a long and involved history with Washington Local Schools. Friends of Tim, and his family, would like to honor him with a memorial scholarship for a Whitmer student athlete.

Tim attended Kent State University on a football scholarship. After graduating with a degree in education, he married his high school sweetheart, Linda, and soon made his way to Toledo, OH to embark on a 30-year teaching and coaching career in the Washington Local School district. Tim taught both special education at Whitmer High School and regular education classes at Washington and Jefferson Junior Highs as well as Meadowvale Elementary. He served as a former Vice Present of TAWLS and won Distinguished Service Awards in 2000 and 2004.

Tim was a Whitmer varsity football assistant for 28 years. In addition, he coached basketball a total of 18 years at Washington Junior High as well as at the freshmen and junior varsity levels. He was also an assistant track coach at Washington Junior High for two years.

As Tim pursued his academic and athletic career, his wife Linda served along side -- from 1989 to 2000 -- as the high school attendance secretary and then in a clerical position at Central Office. In addition, their children Mandy ('96) and Ross ('98) are products of the Washington Local School system and Whitmer graduates.

In 2011, Tim was inducted into the Whitmer High School Sports Hall of Fame as a distinguished WLS teacher and coach.

The Tim Rubino Memorial Scholarship will be a one-time scholarship offered to one (or potentially two) deserving Whitmer student athlete(s). Applicants must have a 3.0 or better GPA and be of good character. Funds will be raised through April 1. Potential donors will be able to make contributions here or by submitting checks made payable to The Tim Rubino Memorial Scholarship to Whitmer Athletic Department. The scholarship(s) will be presented by Linda and Mandy Rubino at the May 21, 2025 Senior Assembly.

The Washington Local Schools Foundation was established on January 11, 2021, in response to a comprehensive assessment completed in 2020. This assessment gathered the thoughts and ideas of stakeholders including graduates, former and current employees, business partners, and other foundations on what the successful establishment of a foundation should look like. The Board of Education established the need for a foundation as the district continued to face unstable state aid. Washington Local was deemed a capped funded district in 2014 and, as a result, has lost over $100 million in state aid since that time. Washington Local students receive just over $4,000 in state aid compared with other local urban students who receive over $8,000 per student. This inequity creates both a funding and opportunity gap for Washington Local students. The Panther family extends all across the country and even internationally. Washington Local alumni make an impact in their communities due, in part, to the values they learned and practiced as growing Panthers. The Washington Local Schools Foundation Board identified five pillars where gaps in funding currently exist due to declining revenue. These pillars align with the district’s Strategic Plan.

Tim Rubino Memorial Scholarship

By Washington Local Schools Foundation

Tim Rubino Memorial Scholarship

Honoring the Passion of a Panther