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.