Fair. Honest. Compassionate. Decisive. Tough. A dedicated husband, father and Christian man. And, as many people in Suffolk will remember him, the consummate educator.

Those were the qualities of Dr. Milton R. Liverman, who retired in 2010 as superintendent of Suffolk Public Schools after 37 years in education. He died Thursday after battling cancer for six years.

Anyone who remembers Dr. Liverman can attest that he was, indeed, all of the things those who knew him said he was.

His dedication to the students and staff of Suffolk Public Schools was surpassed only by his dedication to God and to his wife of 24 years, Shirley Liverman.

The couple were called into ministry together at East End Baptist Church, and such was Liverman’s dedication to his wife that he always made sure her car was filled with gas without her having to ask.

Thousands of Suffolk residents across generations, however, will remember Liverman as an educator. Innumerable are those who remember Liverman as their or their child’s math teacher, assistant principal or principal. Once Liverman moved to the central office, he was able to affect thousands of students and staff at once.

Liverman has been remembered in the last week as a professional who cared deeply about the students and staff.

“My husband did and gave all he had within him for the students and the staff of the school system, but he never felt it was enough,” Shirley Liverman said. “He never felt that he had done enough.”

Liverman was superintendent from 2000 to 2010, a decade that saw great technological advances both in society generally and in how technology is used in education. Liverman oversaw the school system’s advancements in that arena and also presided over the construction of four new schools.

Most importantly, Liverman made sure anyone in the school division could come and talk to him.

“His door was open to anyone,” Shirley Liverman said. “He treated everybody fairly, and that was one of the things I admired about him.”

We thank Liverman for his many years of dedicated service to Suffolk Public Schools.

A viewing will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, with a funeral beginning at 11 a.m., at King’s Fork High School. It will be a fitting tribute for the man who was superintendent when the newest high school was built and was very proud of that accomplishment.