Wilmer “Whiz” Mountain was a teacher and mentor to more than 3,000 students during a three-decade career in the math department at Yorktown High School.
For that achievement, and for a lifetime of service in areas beyond education, Mountain was honored June 17 by the Optimist Club of Arlington.
“What a great day,” said Sandy Bushue, an Optimist Club member who helped organize the “Whiz Mountain Day” celebration, held as part of the club’s biweekly luncheon at Washington Golf & Country Club.
Mountain, who turned 96 last October, has been a club member for 33 years and has held a number of leadership positions.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute — always a good meal and always a fun time,” he said. “I always felt a bit of pride to be an Optimist.”
Born in 1929 in Brownsville, Pa., the youngest of seven siblings, Mountain got a job at a local ice-cream shop after high school. He assisted his father’s produce business, worked construction and ultimately landed a job with the Pennsylvania Railroad, at one time the largest corporation in the world.
Then Uncle Sam came calling. Drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Mountain spent two years in the infantry, much of it at Fort Knox.
While serving in the military, Mountain recognized the need for higher education, taking classes during the day and working a night shift on the railroad to make ends meet. His efforts paid off when he earned a master’s degree in Mathematics from West Virginia University.
Mountain went on to teach at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School at Fort Belvoir, and in 1963 was recruited to the math department at Yorktown.
Through the years, his students included several future famous names, including journalist Katie Couric (Class of 1975), Hilton Worldwide president/CEO Chris Nassetta (1980) and astronaut David Brown (1974).
Among others was Eric Schmidt, a member of Yorktown’s Class of 1972 whose love of computers would be nurtured in Mountain’s classroom.
Schmidt rose to become CEO and executive chairman of Google. He gave remarks by video at the Optimist event.
“What he did for me was extraordinary,” Schmidt said. “He started me on my career as a computer scientist. I am forever grateful.”
Mountain’s interest in computer science came long before computers entered the public consciousness. He became so knowledgeable, he co-authored a textbook on programming in 1971.
At Yorktown, Mountain was coach of the golf club, rifle club and ski club. In 1968, he was part of a group of Yorktown faculty and staff participating in an Arlington Red Cross effort creating more than 1,800 holiday gift bags for the Third Marine Amphibious Force, then serving in South Vietnam.
In 1969, during a performance at Yorktown by legendary soul singer Wilson Pickett, Mountain was among teachers positioning themselves between the band and the student audience, making sure things didn’t get too out of hand.
Mountain also ran multiple small businesses, one selling athletic apparel and the other an ice-cream shop adjacent to Fort Myer. Whenever a child or soldier didn’t have enough money, the ice cream was on the house — and Mountain also offered service members free long-distance calls home to family.
Anyone who reached his mid-90s, yet could pass for his early 70s, is asked the secret to staying young. Mountain suggested having a “great belly laugh” now and then.
“The benefits are both mental and physical,” he said.
In remarks at the event, Mountain recalled a conversation he had when his own father reached 90.
“I asked him what was the most memorable day of his life,” Mountain related. “He said, ‘tomorrow.'”
Mountain’s wife, Jackie — also an educator — attended the luncheon. They will mark 65 years of marriage in September.
Also present were their children, Kathy and Jim, along with their grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Mountain was recruited to the Optimist Club by his dentist, Bruce Arnold. He was hooked from the first meeting.
“I met a lot of people; they were all nice,” Mountain said. “I wanted to join. It’s been a great, great experience.”
The breadth of Mountain’s near century of achievements left many of his club members in awe.
“This has been amazing,” Optimist past president Brian Kellenberger said. “I’m super excited to be here [to celebrate] all that he’s done for the Optimist Club and the people of Arlington.”
The celebration was not just about the past, friends and family were quick to note.
“My dad wanted to make clear this is not a wake,” his daughter Kathy said. “There are many more years to go.”
