Those were the words shared by coworkers, friends and relatives of the longtime THS teacher, coach and athletics director who died early Friday morning at his home in Fairplay, Colo. Lobb, 82, was a fixture in Chieftain athletics for the better part of four decades, logging numerous coaching stints during his 35 years at the school.

A McLouth graduate, Lobb began teaching and coaching football at Tonganoxie in 1959. He remained at the school until he retired in 1994, leading the football, boys basketball and track and field teams along the way. His resume was equally as diverse in the classroom, where he taught physical education, psychology and citizenship among other subjects.

“I don’t think anyone who was an athlete at Tonganoxie from the late 50s to the early 90s can honestly say the man didn’t impact them on a personal level, as well as on an athletic level,” said Pat Jeannin, a 1980 THS grad who played basketball and ran track under Lobb. “I can honestly say, outside of my own personal family, he had the biggest impact on my life in terms of learning responsibility, growing up and becoming the person I am today.”

Lobb spent the latter part of his career as the school’s athletics director and track coach. In 1984, the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association named him the Kansas Athletic Director of the Year. He left one of his most lasting marks on the school in the final years of his career, helping charter the softball and baseball programs in 1990 and the soccer program in 1991.

Justin Nutter

Lobb’s extended service to the school didn’t go unnoticed, as the district has taken numerous steps to show its gratitude since his retirement. He and his wife, Marilyn — a 1954 THS grad and former teacher — were among the education foundation’s inaugural hall of fame class in 2010. Additionally, a plaque recognizing Lobb’s service to the school hangs outside the entrance to the THS gymnasium.

Although an official naming was never sanctioned by the school board, some who knew Lobb, including longtime coach and teacher Phil Williams, refer to the gym as “Lobb Arena” or “Phil Lobb Gymnasium.”

“He was just a great teacher and really cared for the kids,” said Williams, who arrived at THS in 1975 and later took over the track program when Lobb retired. “Kids are sensitive enough that they can tell who really cares and who’s just in it for the paycheck. He was just a great teacher and really cared for the kids.”

Lobb’s former athletes have also shown their appreciation through the years. For instance, about 60 Chieftain football alumni from the 60s and 70s threw Lobb a surprise party when they learned he was retiring in 1994.

Williams was one of several people to share the halls and sidelines with Lobb for many years — perhaps a testament to Lobb’s loyalty to the school and the community. In addition to Lobb’s caring nature, coaches and students alike said he had a unique ability to challenge others to better themselves, often doing so with a mix of humor and tough love.

It’s a method Bill Shaw got to know well in nearly 25 years alongside Lobb in the THS track program, and certainly not one he’s forgotten.

“(Lobb) was a great influence on not only my coaching career, but a lot of other people’s as well,” said Shaw, who began coaching at THS in 1971 and stayed until leaving for De Soto in 2013. “He was really the first coach I met when I came to Tonganoxie. He took me under his wing, and a lot of the philosophies that he was using at that time, I’m still using this present day.

“He had a real deep concern about his students and their welfare, not just on the court or in the classroom, but away from it. For a lot of kids, he was a great influence in their lives. He touched the lives of a lot of teachers, coaches, students and parents, and he’ll remain in our hearts forever.”

Lobb’s family will conduct a funeral service at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Rocky Mountains. The family suggests memorial donations be made to the Tonganoxie Education Foundation at 330 E. U.S. 24-40, Tonganoxie.