Sunday, December 20, 2009

Locals mourn passing of beloved teacher, coach

Coach Tim Bruder remembered for impact on students’ lives.

By Greta Mart

December 6, 2009

A week after the death of Alhambra High School coach and teacher Tim Bruder, a Facebook page dedicated to his memory has attracted nearly 800 members and almost as many testimonials to his prodigious popularity with students and colleagues.

Entry after entry chronicles the positive, lasting impact Bruder had on the legions of teenagers who crossed the threshold of his auto shop classroom or joined the Bulldog track or cross country running teams over the past 24 years.

A memorial is scheduled for Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. in the AHS gymnasium.

Bruder, 54, suffered from diabetes and a kidney disease. Fellow AHS teacher and close friend Jay Heeb said Friday that Bruder had been ill for the better part of a year, although he did not miss any workdays or lag in his coaching duties.

AHS administration and Heeb confirmed that Bruder was hired in 1985 by then-principal Pat Gemma. In addition to teaching Auto Shop and coaching the running teams, for a time Bruder also coached the girls’ soccer team.

“The students just loved him,” said Heeb. “When you first met him, especially around adults, he was very shy. I jokingly called his handwriting, which looked like a third grader’s, advanced hieroglyphics. But what the kids always saw was his dry, witty sense of humor and a really kind, intelligent guy. He had a Master’s degree in Athletic Administration from St. Mary’s College.”

To read the rest of the article, go to the following link:
http://www.martinezgazette.com/news/story/i514/2009/12/06/locals-mourn-passing-beloved-coach-teacher

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