When I was in Junior High School, Bob Burford was my gym teacher. I was no athlete and struggled to accomplish tasks that were easy for most kids. I remember Coach Burford as a patient, kind, and encouraging man who took pleasure in my accomplishments. He was also the coach of the basketball team. I remember that he was a stickler for clean play. Wethersfield players were noted for not engaging in prsonal fouls. He held an ethical standard I have never seen elsewhere. In the summer, he taught swimming at the Mill Wood Pond. Swimming was the one athletic activity I could do, and I ended up as his assistant. I left Wethersfield High after 9th grade and never saw Coach Burford again. I went on to a career in health care research, chairing a department in a Research I University. His stamp was on me all the way. I heard about his death through a network of elderly WHS alumni. That alone shows how a fine teacher is always remembered. His influence goes on and on.