President
At first glance, crediting a school for the blind for providing vision would seem to make little sense. But for Lyle Sine, Overbrook School for the Blind did exactly that. His 13 years as an OSB student developed interests and abilities that propelled him to a fulfilling life of, well… eye-popping accomplishments.
"I call this place my second home," Sine told 6ABC when it profiled him in 2023. "They gave me the initiative to go out and be independent."
Visually impaired from birth, Sine was employed by Verizon for 30 years before retiring to pursue other interests. Those interests include an increased involvement with Overbrook, first as a board member and in June of 2023, as its first-ever visually impaired Board President.
For Lyle, it is far more than a title; it’s an obligation. A job with the rule to improve and expand upon the means to educate students with a diverse range of impairments and capabilities. "I know what these students are going through," he says. "It has changed over the years a little bit, but it comes down to the basic fact. We need to teach our young people here at the school to be self-serving, so they can go out and do the best that they can in their life."
He is Exhibit A. By his sophomore year at OSB, Sine was a bus chaperone assisting other blind students from sister schools in New Jersey, Maryland, and New York. His first involvement with Verizon came through OSB’s work-study program.
That led to a job in Verizon’s mailroom after graduating from Overbrook in 1977. By the time he retired in 2007, Sine had held positions in Verizon’s distribution, human resources and facilities departments, utilizing an interest in math and problem-solving he developed at Overbrook to build an enviable list of computer skills.
“I wouldn’t be doing half of what I’m doing now if not for them,” he says of his OSB instructors and therapists. "It really opened my eyes to different things I could do, different talents I had with numbers."
It’s not just numbers. He enjoys listening to baseball or music, reading, and traveling.
He has even flown an airplane. “With a little assistance,’ he says, smiling.
Sine also met his wife Fran in a cooking class at OSB. Forty years later, he says, “We still cook together.” Both are constant visitors to the school. A devout Christian, Sine serves as a deacon and treasurer at his local church and is involved in several other ministries. His personal mantra is guided by Proverbs 3:5-6, which begins with trust in the Lord and ends with a promise of direction.
“I would be lost without my faith in the Lord,” he says.
Always involved in OSB as an alumnus, Sine was named to the OSB Board in 2018. As is customary for new members, he was initially appointed to the instruction committee.
Today, it is one of several committees on which he still serves. His love of numbers made him a natural choice for the board’s audit and budget committee. Given both his work experience and first-hand familiarity with the campus, Sine is also part of the development and facilities committees.
His call for safer railing at one part of the campus triggered a quick completion of what had been a stalled project. “By the following meeting, the railing was in place,” he says.
The term of Board President lasts for two years. Sine isn’t certain what lies beyond, just that whatever it is, Overbrook School for the Blind will be a big part of it.
“I have such a love for the school,’’ he says, ``that I’m always looking for ways to give back because they did so much for me.”
For more about Lyle, click on to this profile done by 6abc:
Overbrook School for the Blind President Board of Trustees Visual Impairment
