January 1, 2001
Ridge, Michigan, the son of Herbert Charles and Irene (Bucknell) Radabaugh.
During W.W.II he served as a Pharmacist Mate in the U.S. Navy. He later
graduated from W.M.U., where he received his Masters in Education in 1955. Herb
taught at Portage Central Middle School for 52 years and was loved by all his
students. For 25 years, he served as the penalty timekeeper for the K-Wings. On
August 29, 1948 Herb was united in marriage to Joanne (Shelley), who survives.
Also surviving are 3 children, Shelley (Lewis) Lake of Troy, Kurt (Deborah)
Radabaugh of Portage, and Lori (Jerry) Mohney of Portage; 3 granddaughters,
Amber and Nicole Radabaugh, and Heather Mohney. In accordance with his
wishes, cremation has taken place and there will be no visitation. A Memorial
Service will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 7, 2001 at Berean Baptist Church,
7813 S. 12th Street. Memorial contributions may be directed to the family, where
they will be used to support the Portage Central Marching Band, Women's
Swimming and Water Polo, and Volleyball. Please make payable to Bob Kiser,
7055 Standiford, Kalamazoo, MI 49009. Arrangements by the LANGELAND
Family Funeral Homes PORTAGE CHAPEL 411 E. Centre Ave. 343-1508
Portage teacher was 'positive influence' for 50 years
Wednesday, January 24, 2001
BY DAVE PERSON
KALAMAZOO GAZETTE
There has been a void at Portage Central Middle School
since classes resumed after the holidays.
Herbert Radabaugh, a teacher at the school for a
half-century, is no longer there to talk and joke with the
students as he walks the hallways; he is no longer
teaching life lessons as well as academic subjects.
"He cared about each of the kids and they really
appreciated the kind words he passed along to them,"
said Dave Babcock, principal of Central Middle. "He
was a real positive influence on all our students."
Radabaugh, who retired in 1987 after 36 years of
teaching science at the school, had come back regularly
since then as the school's "super sub."
At 76 years old, he was still there, teaching, on the
Friday before the holidays. The following day he
suffered a heart attack that resulted in his death on New
Year's Day.
"The kids loved him," Babcock said. "(They) would see
him in the hallway and ask, 'Mr. Radabaugh, who are
you subbing for today?'
"He made a point of knowing all the names of the
children, what their interests and hobbies were."
Babcock said Radabaugh also was loved by the staff.
"We called him 'Super Sub' because it didn't matter what
the subject matter, he just went in there and did a fine
job," he said.
Radabaugh's wife, Joanne, said her husband looked
forward to his teaching assignments.
"I think he waited for the phone to ring," she said. "He
very seldom said no, that he wouldn't go."
But substituting was something he reserved for Central
Middle, she said. It was the only school in which he
taught after his retirement.
"He wanted to go back where he knew everybody," she
said.
Through the years, he even taught his three
granddaughters, and after one of them called him
"Grandpa" in class, a lot of other students adopted that
name for him as well.
"So he was called Grandpa by a lot of the kids," Joanne
Radabaugh said.
She said her husband didn't mind being in a classroom in
which he didn't know the subject material.
"We always laughed when he taught home ec ... because
he certainly couldn't (even) boil an egg," she said.
"He loved teaching; that was his life, that and his
granddaughters," she added.
Through the years, the Radabaughs have followed the
extracurricular activities of their granddaughters,
including band, volleyball, swimming and water polo.
Herbert Radabaugh also was a regular at home hockey
games of the Kalamazoo Wings, for which he served as
penalty timekeeper from the team's inception more than
25 years ago until last year.
That job, like all other off-ice officials' jobs, is critical to
a hockey team's success, said Stephen Doherty, general
manager of the Wings.
"Herb was a regular. He was here 25 years, game in and
game out," Doherty said. "I can't remember too many
games that Herb missed."
Herbert C. Radabaugh Jr. was born Dec. 5, 1924, in
Pleasant Ridge. He was a pharmacist's mate in the U.S.
Navy during World War II and later graduated from
Western Michigan University, from which he also
received his master's degree in education.
Surviving besides his wife of 52 years are three children
and their spouses, Shelley and Lewis Lake of Troy, Kurt
and Deborah Radabaugh of Portage and Lori and Jerry
Mohney of Portage; and three granddaughters.
