10 Years On

One of the missions Mr. Coate had in his career was preparing future physicians.  I hope his spirit knows knows how successful he has been.  Kathleen M. Bock, M.D. begins her family medicine residency this week,  following Stephen A. Bock, M.D. down this path.  I know there are others in this cohort who made the same choice, able to succeed at university level science because of the fine background they got in Mr. Coate's class.

A Sad Discovery

I'm sorry I am late in finding your blog in tribute to Mr. Coate, and moreso to learn of his passing. It is gratifying to see how many others across the years continued to hold him in as deservedly high regard as did I and so many of my contemporaries.

The attached image, taken from the dedication page of the 1974 Ironman yearbook, is classic Ralph Coate: Top shirt button buttoned for photos, hands clasped, and a serious facial expression. I like this one because I prefer to think I see a hint-- recognizable only by those who had the honor of getting to know the man-- of him being about a millisecond away from breaking into that famous smirk just before he cracked wise.
--
Doug DeCota, MHS 1974, Senior Science Award
UNO 1980, New Orleans, LA




(This is the last page. Looking for the first page? Click here.)

Goodbye, Friend

It is with deep sadness that I relay the message that Ralph Coate died this weekend.

I'm so deeply grateful that we had a chance to let him know how much he was loved while he was still with us.

Friend

Mr. Coate was not only my teacher; he was my coach, friend, sports fan, and counselor. He would cut out my name from the paper from every track meet. He would talk to me about my career options and what college I wanted to attend. He even wrote me a letter of recommendation, which I am almost positive, is one of the main reasons I was accepted into Illinois Wesleyan University. He was my friend whenever I needed to talk about anything, it did not even have to be science related. Most importantly, though, he was one of the most inspirational people in my life. He taught me more than I could ever thank him for. Not only did he help make me a better student, he made me a better person. He caused me to believe in myself. He made sure I did not settle for ordinary. He knew my potential better than I did, and he made sure I strived for perfection. He was a hard teacher, but I would not have wanted it any other way. I am proud to say that I was a student in Mr. Coate’s class. I am sad to see him leave because there are so many younger children who do not get the opportunity of knowing Ralph Coate. I will never forget this wonderful human being, or the impact he has had on my life. Thank you for everything Mr. Coate!

Here are a few memories I have of Mr. Coate and being in his class. I honestly looked forward to going to his class everyday because you never knew what to expect from that crazy man.

-The first time I was doing a lab in Mr. Coate’s class I accidentally threw away the plastic spoon. When he walked by all the lab tables as we were cleaning up, he asked our group where the spoon was. I was so intimidated by him and did not want to tell him that I threw it away. I immediately ran to the garbage to dig it out, but couldn’t find it. He definitely saw me going through the trash and assumed I had done something wrong. He was slightly upset that I threw it away, so the next day I brought him a plastic spoon from home. On that spoon I wrote “DO NOT THROW AWAY” and put a smiley face on it. Mr. Coate still has it hanging up in his room to this day.

-I felt like every time I was in lab I got this “look” from Mr. Coate like “what the heck are you doing, Chelsea”. He always made fun of me and told me that I mutilated everything we dissected. I still remember the day we had to saw through the cat’s skull and Amy Moma destroyed the brain. Mr. Coate made her promise him she would never become a brain surgeon.

-I remember how I came into his class the morning after the test where we had to name every muscle used in the paragraph of movements throughout the school. My test was on top and it had a big, fat D on it. I could not believe my eyes. I had never received a D in my life. I went up to Mr. Coate who had this huge grin on his face. I could not believe he thought this was humorous. He told me that I had done a “blonde” thing; I had not followed directions properly. He loved to comment on my hair color, like it really made a difference J

-I also loved how every day after I had missed school Mr. Coate would always ask me in front of the whole class what I had bought at the store. He never believed that I was sick and assumed that I went out and bought an Easter outfit.

-I loved how you would answer a question in class and Mr. Coate would say “yes, exactly” and then write down a totally different answer than what you had said.

-I loved how he always tried to speak Spanish. For ex: Turn in el quizzo. He was always teasing Mrs. Horne.

-I loved how he bribed us with cookies and offered us the half smoked/chewed Cuban cigar…or something to that idea.

These memories will forever be embedded in my mind and heart. We will miss you Mr. Coate!

-Chelsea Wallis

Dedicated

RE: Ralph Coate

Judge Thomas Little [TLittle@court.co.macon.il.us]

It’s been over thirty-five years since I began freshman Biology with Mr. Coate. Subsequent classes included Advanced Biology and Physics. Despite the passage of decades, I still have fond memories of those classes. A steady dose of homework, frequent quizzes, and difficult chapter tests made these classes frightening, challenging, and rewarding, all at the same time. Yet through it all, Mr. Coate still managed to bring humor and fun to the classroom. I remember fishing through a large bucket of formaldehyde trying to locate a cow heart or a pig eye.

Extracurricular activities with the Conservation Club included a canoe trip to the Current River in Missouri and an exploration of the diverse environments of a bog and sand dunes at Indiana Dunes State Park.

The education I received in the sciences remains with me to this day, as does the love of our natural environment. For this, I am grateful. Yet these are not the most important things that I took away from my experiences with Mr. Coate. Through my observations of his interactions with students, staff, and teachers, I learned about the virtues of respect for yourself and others, dedication to the task at hand, and a strong work ethic. These are the lessons for which I am most grateful.

The Best of the Best

Ralph,

In all of my years in and around public education, I cannot recall any educator as dedicated and competent as you. My memory recalls that without exception, the lights in your science room were always the first on in the morning, and most generally, the last off in the evening. The rigor taught and expected in your classroom was always that of excellence and the expectation for academic achievement was not only for your students, but a demand you made of yourself as well. During my ten years at Macon you were always "that educator" I most wanted to emulate. Not only did you raise the bar for students, you raised it for your colleagues as well. You have touched the lives of countless numbers of students, parents and co-educators, and because of contact with you, all our lives have been enriched.

Having served on the School Board in Decatur for 12 years, I have seen from "the other side" what an asset to any school district, a teacher of your quality is to that district. You are truly one of a kind, the best of the best. I wish there were more as dedicated to both subject matter and student, as you. If the dictionary had pictures next to definitions of words, yours would be located next to the word pedagogue.

With all my admiration, I wish you well in your retirement. Public education is a better place because you. Your presence and contribution will sorely be missed.

D.R. Roberts

Addenda

Nothing like sending out the "I think it's finished" email to bring the stragglers in!

Looks like we'll have a few more memories shared here.