Remembering Robert Tindel

From http://en.netlog.com/Alimarie05/blog/blogid=1968042

Blog / In loving memory Of Robert J Tindel

9 hours ago

Bob Tindel was the best teacher I ever had. He was my forensics/debate coach, and I was also his student aide. When I had free time during other classes I would always be excused to go to his class and have him help me with my forensics skit. He was also the one I went to for help. He was always there for his students and I will never forget him. When I did landscaping he would always come out during the summer time and request me to design his landscape. He was never a boastful man, and he went above and beyond in everything he did. He will be greatly missed. Today we buried our loving teacher, and friend. I love you sooooo much Mr. Tindel you will forever be our hairless meircat!!!

Pittsburg High School English department chairman dies
By Nikki Patrick | THE MORNING SUN

Gary Price, USD 250 superintendent of schools, had a problem when asked to talk about Robert Tindel, Pittsburg High School English department chairman.

Tindel, 56, died at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Mt. Carmel Regional Medical Center.

"Bob was such a great person that it's hard not to go on and on about him," Price said.

A Pittsburg native, Tindel earned a bachelor's degree in speech and theater from Pittsburg State University in 1973, and a master's in theater from PSU in 1978.

He was an educator for most of his life, and was also active in the local theater scene, including Pittsburg Community Theatre, for decades, both as a performer, director and in technical work backstage.

"Bob was a quick thinker and adjusted to whatever was going on onstage," said Linda Bush, Pittsburg, who was in several productions with him.

She described a production of a show called "Black Comedy" in the old Carney Hall auditorium at PSU. One of the actresses was ill, and several times left the stage in the middle of scenes. "Bob lead the other actors in a hilarious, unscripted madcap evening of ad-libbing to keep the show going," Bush said.

Tindel taught at St. Mary's-Colgan High School from 1973 to 1986, and directed numerous plays and musicals there, including "Hello Dolly" in 1974, "Mame" in 1975, "Funny Girl" in 1976, "Fiddler on the Roof" in 1977, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in 1983, "My Fair Lady" in 1984 and "Camelot" in 1985.

"People said that Bob didn't just direct plays, he directed extravaganzas," said Maggie Ryan, former SMC teacher.

His plays were popular, not only with the public, but with the students. "A lot of the sports kids wanted to be in his plays," Ryan said. "He brought in great kids. Bob was just a tremendous person."

"As a director, he held such passion for what he did," Bush said. "If a play had his name on it, it was a high quality production where cast and crew gave more than their best. His intensity in making a good show into a great show will be part of his legacy."

Michelle Blancho was the leading lady in several of Tindel's Colgan productions. "He drove us to be our best, and we wanted nothing but the best for him," she wrote in an e-mail. "He was also a very good friend throughout the years."

Tindel taught several years at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School in Wichita before choosing to return to his hometown. He was a forensic and debate coach at PHS for many years before becoming an English teacher.

He was a skilled communicator both on and off stage, in and out of the classroom, according to Price.

"Bob was one of those really intense people who told you exactly what he thought," the superintendent said. "He was not afraid to express an opinion on an issue, but he had a magical way of supporting an issue without making it a personal thing. He was a great teacher, he loved kids, he loved PHS and he always let it be known how much he liked the people he worked with."

Tindel earned many awards during his career as an educator. Among the most prestigious were the Five Diamond from the National Forensic League, held by only a small handful of forensic educators across the nation, and the Kansas Master Teacher Award in 2000. He was also named Outstanding Young Speech Teacher by the Central States Speech Association.