HILTON, NY – Robert T. Stimson, 73, formerly of Guilderland, died April 20, 2009 at his home in Hilton. Mr. Stimson graduated third in his class from Westfield High School in Westfield, NY. He earned BS and MS degrees at Albany State Teachers College (SUNYA) graduating Cum Laude. He completed additional coursework at Syracuse University, Rutgers University, Brown University, Penn State University, and Union College. He was a teacher and supervisor of math for 36 years (1957 – 1993) in the Guilderland School System. He was also a long time member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). He tutored many students throughout his career and after retirement. He loved teaching, giving much time and energy. He had a great relationship with students, parents, fellow teachers and administration, and would do it all over again. He also had a great love for music and theatre. He was a member of College chorus, Statesman, Albany Choral Society, Octavos, Mendelssohn Men’s Glee Club and the Festival Celebration Choir. He was also an advocate for the Empire State Youth Orchestra.
Mr. Stimson was predeceased by his parents and his dear friend Rosemary Branigan. He is survived by his daughter Susan (Joseph) Skeels of Hilton, NY; his grandchildren Cpl. Bradley Ingram USMC and Michaelyn (Lt. Eric) O’Hearn U.S. Army; his brother Ira Stimson; his sisters Virginia (Bill) Imm and Alice (Richard) Davis.
A memorial service will be celebrated in the Hans Funeral Home, 1088 Western Ave., Albany at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, August 1, 2009. Relatives and friends are invited, and may call at the funeral home from 1-3 p.m. Saturday. To leave a message of condolence for the family, or obtain directions to the funeral home, please visit http://www.hansfuneralhome.com/ .
Patti Weaver Cody
Sue, so sorry to hear about your Dad. I have many fond memories of him and you for that fact. May God help youthrough this time of sorrow. I am praying and thinking of you. Patti
Vicki
I absolutely adored Mr Stimson! I am the receptionist at Dr Perlmutters office and he was the most respectful and kindest man you could ever ask for. He never forgot my name and always stopped at the desk with friendly words for me. I will truly miss his smiling face in the office. I am so sorry for your loss.
Debbie Pepin
Susan and family
Though it has been many years, the photo of your smiling Dad reminded me of so many upbeat and caring chats we had during my tenure at the HS. As you have clearly shared in his loving obituary, your Dad was a man respected by all. His passion for teaching (and math) came through in all that he did. I am pleased to have known him – he helped my faith in the teaching profession. Though you will surely miss your Dad with all your heart, may the memories and love stay with you. With sympathy, Debbie Pepin
Christine Kuzdzal
I’m very sorry for your family’s loss and especially saddened that I can’t attend the memorial service. I owe my 22 years at GCHS to Bob. After having taught at 4 different schools over the course of 10 previous years, he gave me the opportunity to join the math department. I had found my home in Guilderland HS and stayed until this past June when I retired. The other opportunity that I will always be grateful for was that he allowed me was to teach AP Calculus. I can still remember how thrilled I was that he asked me.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with and for Stimmy. He was a professional through and through. I always felt that I could go to him with any questions I had without risking embarassment. He was generous with his time and knowledge.
Please know that he will be missed by many in the educational community.
SIncerely,
Christine Kuzdzal
Ron Kocsis
Bob was my math department head when I returned to GCHS in Jan 1966 to teach jr high math. Bob was the perfect mentor for me and I really appreciated him and his sense of humor. When he quit splitting his time between the jr high and the sr high, the jr high math dept had a going away party for him. I had the honor of emceeing the party and made Bob the butt of many jokes: Ear warmers made from falsies, a can of Metracal served on a silver tray, ( a joke he saw coming), a poem written on a roll of toilet paper and a corny abacus made from wire and kernels of field corn. Bob laughed more than anyone else at the party.
Bob was well liked and greatly appreciated by everyone he came in contact with professionally, while my time with him was shorter than I would have liked; I got an offer I couldn’t refuse in October of 1966 from the US Army, I have often thought of my teaching job at GCHS as the best job I’ve ever had. Bob gets a lot of credit for that.
Best wishes to you all.
Sincerely,
Ron Kocsis
GCHS class of ’61
Joel Quay
Sue and Joe,
I’m so sorry for the loss of your Dad. He was a wonderful educator as a student and friend as an adult. (also a great part-time employer!) We’ve all missed him since his move from Altamont but at least that gave me a chance to say goodbye.
Best wishes to you and your family in this difficult time. -Joel
Debbie Giambo
I offer my condolences to you at this difficult time, and I hope you may find strength in your warm memories. Mr. Stimson was a beloved teacher. After nearly a quarter of a century of my own education, Mr. Stimson remained one of my favorite teachers. His love for his work and for his students was evident each day. He went beyond being a teacher of math to connecting with us, his students, and making the effort to get to know us as people. His warmth and kindness reached me as a shy student in meaningful ways. He will always remain one of my favorite teachers.
I majored in math in college. My parents had told me to major in something I enjoyed, and so I chose math. I attribute that, in large part, to Mr. Stimson.
I will always remember him fondly, as I know you will. He touched many lives in lasting ways. We were all fortunate to know him.
Debbie
Mrs. Nese Ugur Cav
I was a foreign exchange student at GCHS and had the honour of knowing Mr. Stimson. I am cery sorry to hear of his loss. I share his family“s grief on their great loss.
Affectionately,
Nese Cav
Mike Markham
Susan & family, I was so sad to hear of the loss of you dad. He was genuinely a wonderful person who touched so many people’s lives in a positive way. He was by far one of the best teachers I ever had, and also a good friend as well. Anyone who came in contact with Mr Stimson definitely came away a better person because of it. I feel extremely fortunate to have known him, and will truly miss him.
What an amazing testimony to a life well lived, to have made such an impact in the lives of so many. My thoughts & prayers are with you and your family.
Sincerely
Mike Markham
GCHS class of ’86
Margaret Lavelle(aka Peg Ricci)
Susan and Family. I had the pleasure of subbing then teaching at Guilderland under your father’s guidence. I’m sorry I will not be able to be with you on Saturday. I’m traveling to my daughter in PA. It’s a 5 hour trip- driving, getting me there rather late, if I go. I recently communicated with “Bob” on the death of Rosemary, then he wrote to me connerning my daughter’s illness. I appreaciated his thoughts and prayers. My prayers to you and your family. Margaret (Peg)
Barbara (Merrihew) Paley
Mr. Stimson was one of my favorite teachers at Guilderland High School. I recall taking his computer science class around 1968 – how progressive! After that class he selected me to appear with him on a WMHT program to discuss the value of computers in our society and how they would change our lives, little did we know at the time! After the taping, he took me to Joe’s Delicatessen on Madison Avenue for a sandwich. He encouraged me to pursue my studies of mathematics and computer science in college, advice that was taken and has proved its value over all these years. Thanks, Mr. Stimson.
I’m sorry he’s gone now and send my condolences to family and friends, most of whom I’m sure have stories and memories about Mr. Stimson as wonderful as mine are.
Barbara Merrihew Paley, GCHS Class of 1970
bill and bonnie quay
Dear Susan and family,
We are sorry that we will not be able to attend your Dad’s memorial
service on Saturday. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you.
Your Dad was a friend for many years. We knew that he wanted to move to Hilton to be closer to family. He will be truly missed by all of us.
With deepest sympathy,
Bonnie and Bill Quay
Eberhard Fuchs
Dear Susan and family,
Please accept my deepest sympathy on the death of your father. I can well appreciate what a great loss this must be to you. Your father was a man for whom I had the greatest admiration and regard.
Sincerely yours,
Eberhard Fuchs
Diane Keith
Susan,
I was so sorry to see the obituary for your dad. He was a wonderful man. Even though my husband (Lee Keith) passed away many years ago, I would be invited back to the retirement parties for the people he had taught with. It was always nice to see your father and catch up on old times. I’d also run into him at various play venues. I know my husband thought highly of him as a mentor and friend. Please accept my condolences to you and your family.
Harry and Sue (Naginey) Baumes
Dear Sue –
Sue and I were so saddened to hear of your father’s passing and wish you and your family our deepest sympathies. Your dad was a great teacher and friend. I had your dad for 2 courses in high school and, hands down, he was my favorite teacher. He was always encouraging and interested in what and how I was doing. In the computer course that Barb Merrihew Paley spoke of, he and I beat the computer playing Chinese Nimb – and the computer printed out the word “CLUNK” when it lost.
Once Sue an I moved from the Guilderland area, I would look forward to visiting with your dad when back home for the holidays. That was not always easy to do – he was often visiting you and your family. He was always willing to spend some time when we would connect – catching up on each other’s lives since the last time we had seen each other. I am so glad that my kids had an opportunity to meet your dad because Sue and I would talk about him with them. I hope you know how very proud he was of you and your family.
Your dad was a very special person, and I am thankful that I knew him.
Again, our deepest condolences.
Harry and Sue Baumes
GCHS Class of ’70
Diane and Fran Evans
Susan and Family —
Our deepest sympathy on the loss of your beloved dad. You must miss him so much, and we know how proud he was of you and how very much he loved you. He was respected by everyone who knew him, and we trust that your loving memories will help you through this difficult time. Our prayers are with you.
Diane and Fran Evans
Warren Redlich & David Moss
Thank you for fine obituary about Robert Stimson, our math teacher in our senior year at Guilderland Central High School in 1983-1984.
Facing a roomful of teenagers, he managed to teach us the fundamental theorem of calculus and so much more. His students were always engaged by his lessons, as we fondly recall how he worked Hershey’s Kisses into calculating the volume of solids. Along the way he helped us to see not only the methods, but also the logic, elegance, and beauty of mathematics. He was also a gentleman and a genuinely nice person. In recent years we would see him in the area, perhaps at Friendly’s or in Price Chopper. Bob always had a smile and a kind word.
David went on to get a Ph.D. in Mathematics, while Warren majored in Mathematical Economics and continued his studies in graduate school. An understanding of mathematics is critical to success in many professional fields, especially those related to science and engineering. Quite a few of our classmates have gone on to great careers – an orthopedic surgeon; a software entrepreneur; musicians; soldiers; teachers; and more. And that’s just one class.
We would not be who we are today without the education we received in high school from wonderful teachers like Bob Stimson. We echo his daughter’s statement that “he touched many and left a lasting impression.”
Very truly yours,
Warren Redlich
David J. Moss
Michael Malone
To the Family of Robert Stimson,
I had Mr. Stimson for ninth grade math in summer school. For some reason, I couldn’t slow down enough to finish it during the regular school year. He clarified some key concepts and helped me to understand how important it is to learn mathematics; which eventually became half of my undergraduate degree. I only saw him in the math lab after that summer where he was always willing to help students. I ran into him a few times over the years. He was always cheerful, positive and friendly. He was a good teacher and a good man. I am truly sorry for your loss.
Michael Malone
GCHS Class of 1984
Wright Aldridge
I am very sorry to hear of Mr. Stimson’s passing. He was my math teacher in 9th and 10th grades and thought of him as a mentor throughout my high school years. He made a lasting impression on me that has lasted to this day.
One memory that stands out is that I disagreed with an answer he and the class had chosen for a math problem involving the direction of forces on a bridge. I would not change my mind and he gave me the opportunity to make a model that eventually proved my point. He honored me by keeping the model and placing it the classroom window facing the corridor. It remained there a long time and I smiled each time I saw it. Sometimes one has to stand his/her ground.
I also had some personal problems and he helped me naviagate through my troubles. I will always remember and cherish his memory.
Wright Aldridge
Class of 1962
Kathy (Young) Metivier
To the Family of Mr. Stimson,
I was taught Algebra in 9th grade and 12th grade math by Mr. Stimson and remembered him always so very fondly. He went out of his was to make the classes interesting, and once let me know after class that he had explained a particular calculation trick (that was not part of the necessary lesson) with my interests in mind. I am sure he inspired many classes of math students after me. My deepest sympathies to the family and my hope that these shared memories will lighten your sorrow.
Kathy (Young) Metiver
GCHS class of 1982