Audrey Luthman, Retired Falls Church Crossing Guard Of 50 Years, Dies
FALLS CHURCH, VA — Audrey Luthman, a retired crossing guard who helped students safely get to school for 50 years in Falls Church, has died.
Falls Church City Public Schools shared the news of Luthman’s death.
“Audrey was more than a crossing guard; she was a steadfast guardian of our community’s safety,” read a statement from the school district.
Find out what's happening in Falls Churchwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
FCCPS honored Luthman for 50 years of crossing guard service as she retired in 2021. She was honored with a crosswalk in front of Oak Street Elementary School named the Audrey Luthman Crosswalk. Luthman was also a grand marshal of the 2013 Falls Church Memorial Day Parade along with Janet Haines, another crossing guard for 52 years who retired in 2019.
Luthman became a crossing guard in 1971 when there was a shortage. She originally planned for it to be temporary work until a replacement was found. When retiring after 50 years, she joked that she was still waiting for that replacement.
Find out what's happening in Falls Churchwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Most of her crossing guard work as been at Oak Street Elementary and Meridian High School, but she’s worked at all the local schools over the years.
“I love this job,” Luthman told Patch in 2021. “I like crossing the kids. I like talking to the kids. It’s like every day is different.”
In 50 years of crossing guard service, Luthman had seen Falls Church change. Between new buildings to roads becoming busier, she saw crossing guard duties as a huge responsibility.
“You don’t really know what the children are going to do, so you have to watch all of the motions,” she said.
Beyond helping kids stay safe, Luthman would make an impact by greeting students with a smile as they entered and left school, Superintendent Peter Noonan said in 2021.
Click Here: レディースファッション
At her retirement celebration in 2021, Luthman got a police escort from her house to Meridian High School and Oak Street Elementary, where officials shared well wishes and provided gifts like a plaque of artifacts she wrote on her uniform throughout the years, a plaque of the city’s flag and seal, a City Council resolution recognizing Aug. 31 as Audrey Luthman Day and flowers from families.
Luthman’s 50 years of service won’t be soon forgotten.
“As we mourn the loss of this remarkable woman, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Audrey’s family,” said FCCPS. “Her legacy will forever be a part of the fabric of our FCCPS community, and she will be deeply missed.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.