Middle school bench donated in memory of Bob Pattee
A bench in memory of former Humboldt Middle School Principal, Robert Pattee, was unveiled on Monday, Sept. 8. It is located at the school entrance. Pattee, who passed away a year ago, was principal from 1987 to 2011. He was a teacher and coach in the school district in the 1970s. Humboldt Middle School personnel who worked under Pattee, pictured, from left: Janis Wickett, Tina Clarken, Pam Conlon, Jason Thurm and Carolyn Powers. Independent photo.
By PHIL MONSON
Bob Pattee was a well-respected Humboldt Middle School principal from 1987 to 2011.
Because of the impact Pattee made on the community, it was only fitting that a bench in his memory stands near the entrance to Humboldt Middle School.
On Monday (Sept. 8), a year since Pattee passed away, veteran teachers gathered to unveil the new bench.
“Today is the one-year anniversary of his passing and we wanted this to be a tribute to him. Something we can tell our current students about this man,” Janis Wickett, Humboldt Middle School instructor, said.
“Last spring an email was sent out to the entire district asking for a free will donation on jeans day. We raised $900 with the idea we would have a bench with the memory of Bob,” Wickett said.
“After Bob passed away last year, we had a conversation with his family about honoring him and this was something they agreed to,” Wickett said. “With the money we purchased the bench and had an amount left over, so we decided to plant a tree (autumn blaze maple) on the north side of the high school as well.”
“He was a man of authority but he displayed a lot of care behind the authority. One of the things I looked up to him the most was that he could get his point across and still be very caring,” Carolyn Powers, middle school teacher, said.
“As teachers, he had our backs, no matter what and always stood up for us,” instructor Tina Clarken said.
“One thing I always remember about Bob is that at the end of staff meetings, he always said, ‘please take care of each other and thanks for being here,’” middle school secretary Pam Conlon said.
“Bob was somebody I always tried to model myself after. He was a great teacher. A great administrator and had a way about him where he was in complete command and had the respect of every teacher at one point, then the next moment he would be joking around and having fun with you,” middle school teacher Jason Thurm said.
“He was a great guy all the way around. The thing that stood out to me most about Bob is that he cared. It was never about him. It was always about you,” Thurm said.
Read the full story in this week's issue of the Humboldt Independent!
