Firstly, I’d like to say that Bob was one of my favorite teachers, ever, hands-down. Not only did I like going into his class, when I had him — he was clearly whip-smart and enjoyed playing a sort of intellectual tennis with us all, qualities that where experientially obvious, even then — but he also remains one of the few teachers whose lessons I know still animate my understanding of history and politics, as well as color my own teaching. That’s not bad across 40 years, right? In fact, I still happily and consciously (sort of) quote his definition of how to understand the practical extent of one’s rights: “Imagine standing with your arms out wide. Then, spin around and around. If you aren’t hitting anyone, you’re probably within your rights. If you are, we may have to think harder about where you two are in conflict.” Now, that sounds somewhere between beneficently egalitarian and libertarian to me, but I like its Do no harm but do as you see fit spirit. The implied And stand up for others when you see that boundary breached  is as cogent now as ever. (Maybe now more than ever.)  I was also truly chuffed, as I sat in Bob’s class, to think “This guy is one of my Dad’s friends.” (I spent a lot of time with Wendell Coogan than so I knew the caliber of being that that small club membership conveyed.) I was tickled and amazed by that then, and I still am. Lastly, I wish I’d known Bob was in the room at my Dad’s memorial service. I didn’t recognize him, and when Marlys told me that she’d been talking to him, I felt dumb and like I’d missed out on a chance to see someone who’d meant a lot to me — as a teacher but also a model of what a person could do, with good humor and energy, and as a stalwart friend (along with Janet) to my parents across decades. Life and how to live it: I wish I had had the chance to say that to him.