Robert Stevens, long time teacher and coach in the Olympia area, passed away from a battle with cancer this week at the age of 62.

I had Coach Stevens as a gym teacher at Chinook Middle School for just one year and never had him as a coach but he left quite the impression anyway. He was probably the first “coach” that I ever encountered, before that I was always coached by parents that were just volunteering because they had to. He was a new type of personality in my life at the time and I fought that toughness and the gruffness that he had to bring to middle school gym class. I was never good with coaches or people in a position of authority and I often hated going to gym class but I always really liked Coach Stevens. He was tough but he was fair and cared about his students and did his job really well. He would get on you and give you this piercing, nasty, disappointed look if you were dogging it or acting stupid that would send chills down my spine whenever I got it. I honestly think that look stayed with me for the rest of my life, in the back of my mind, urging me to not to piss him off.

Anyway, thank you Coach Stevens. You were definitely one of the most memorable teachers that I ever had and I wish that my attitude and commitment would have been better in 7th grade. I think I probably could have learned a lot more from you. Rest in peace.

Coach Stevens is survived by his four kids: Jason, Janeal, Jameka and Jerramy. There will be a memorial service at Haven of Rest Funeral Home in Gig Harbor on Saturday, September 8th at 11:00 AM. You can read his obituary and sign a guestbook here.