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Robert Bolander posted a condolence
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Looking up something completely different brought me to this site, and unfortunately years after the fact. I was a student at Quilcene during Mr. Walburn's tenure there as Principal, from 1970 to 1974. He also taught some classes. I remember milling about the hallway in the old high school building with my 7th grade class waiting for our unknown teacher on our first day of school in 1970. We were First Day Of School Excited and talking when he showed up a little late to unlock the classroom door, while admonishing us that "these halls are not acoustically constructed." In other words, Shut Up, ha, ha. We had 7 class periods that year and 2 of them with him, and he taught four graded subjects over those two periods: English, Spelling, Creative Writing and Art. I guess they were all related....
The class I liked best of his was Spelling, wherein he introduced as to a collective of words and synonyms above our grade level, and that is something I've always enjoyed since. Why be in a hurry when you can proceed with ALACRITY? Why be confused when you can express CONSTERNATION? What is greed if not AVARICE? And seeing a ghost is rather dull in comparison to having witnessed an APPARITION. Every week there was a new collection of these spelling words to accompany the regular textbook words and I recall them as a challenge but also a joy to learn.
I didn't have any other classes with Mr. Walburn the rest of the three years he was at Quilcene, but as the high school principal he was someone all the students in that small country school (maybe around 200 to 250 students total, K-12) interacted with regularly, and not necessarily just when someone was in trouble. The difference between "principle" and "principal," he liked to say, was the Principal was your PAL. <Ouch.>
He was a bit rigid at first but loosened up as time passed. My mother was his secretary for his first two years at Quil, and I went fishing with him once or twice on our family farm that was bisected by the Big Quilcene River. By the spring of that first school year he had progressed to where he assisted my class in playing a practical joke on me, BUT he was the sort to actually bring me into the joke and make it a reverse joke on the class.
I don't recall knowing anyone else in his family except his son Keith, who was a year behind me. There was, well, a "punk" in school that year, around 17-years-old, who had a lot of run-ins with his PrinciPAL with negative results, and so started talking about "getting even" with Mr. Walburn by beating up Keith, who was then an 11-year-old 6th grader. Bad idea. My mom told me that when he heard about this, Mr. Walburn immediately sought this delinquent out, caught him the hall, and had him off his feet against the wall with one hand (and he was a big kid) while the other hovered menacingly in the shape of a fist in the background. "Let's solve this right now!" Walburn challenged him, "If you've got the guts." Of course, bullies never do and that was the end of the matter.
Mr. Walburn was not without his faults, of course. He could be grouchy and a bit taciturn, and everyone inwardly groaned when he got up at a meeting "to say a few words," because he could drone on interminably. But overall I'd call him an okay guy, and definitely someone who made enough of an impression on me when I was a youngster, that I can tell good stories about him decades later. I'm glad he had a long life and big family.
Cheers,
Bob Bolander QHS '76
variable46@rocketmail.com
November 23, 2021
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The family of Richard K. Walburn uploaded a photo
Friday, June 1, 2018
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Gina Dipola posted a condolence
Sunday, September 7, 2014
all the loving memories of my childhood, my aunt Patty and up through 1969 .. my wonderful dear cousins and all the happy family holidays spent spent together .. those wonderful memories we can always cherish as well as all those that succeeded through adult lives with aunt Joyce since 1982 to date. Hugs and comfort to all. Jeanette (Gina) Dipola …W(inther-Kempton) ..
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Marvin & Margot Merritt posted a condolence
Friday, August 29, 2014
May His blessings cover this entire family in this time of loss. We are so sorry to lose our church friend and neighbor.
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Margaret Stewart posted a condolence
Sunday, August 24, 2014
I have fond memories of time spent with Dick and Joyce. Visit here in Kansas, Wisconsin and Washington. Will always remember the day I was admiring his painting of an old man, just loved it! He took it off the wall and gave it to me! It is hanging here in my family room, remembering Dick and the times we got to visit.
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Sue & Dave Prinsen posted a condolence
Sunday, August 24, 2014
We are Thinking of All of You . Praying you all find Comfort with the loss of Dick .
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