Students, Faculty Grieve Loss Of Beloved Sebastopol Teacher

Summer vacation for Sebastopol Union School District students began Monday with the tragic loss of a popular history teacher who began classes by challenging students to identify the artists of the recorded classic rock music he played.

Richard M. Kolodin, 52, of Petaluma, died Friday when his 1994 Lexus sedan went off the side of state Highway 1 and 500 feet down a cliff near Jenner.

A California Highway Patrol officer spotted the Lexus north of Meyer’s Grade Road around 5 p.m., and a Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter recovered Kolodin who was ejected from the vehicle and might not have been wearing a seatbelt, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said.

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Sloat said Kolodin was heading from his home to Gualala on the Sonoma Coast.

“It was his second day of summer vacation,” said Debbie Hanks, principal of the Brook Haven grade 5-8 elementary school and assistant superintendent of the school district.

Some students at the school spent their first weekday of vacation Monday at Brook Haven where counselors, a Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office chaplain and a therapy dog were available for grieving students. Students left stuffed animals and flowers outside Kolodin’s classroom, Hanks said.

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Kolodin was a huge Giants fan, and students showed up in Giants attire and painted Kolodin’s name in orange on his parking space, Hanks said.

“He was an incredibly popular teacher, beloved by all and truly legendary,” Hanks said.

“We have a veteran staff in the district and he was a favorite teacher,” Hanks said. “He loved sports and was very athletic himself. He was a golfer and recently returned to the game,” Hanks said.

Hanks also remembered Kolodin’s passion and rapport with students. Kolodin taught in the district for 20 years, including the Park Side K-4 school and Pine Crest elementary school that closed about four years ago, Hanks said. He most recently taught seventh and eighth grade history at Brook Haven.

“He was passionate about music. He would play recorded music as the students entered the class. He went in alphabetic order through the names of the bands to see if the students could guess the artists. Led Zeppelin was his favorite,” Hanks said. “The Sebastopol Union community is holding together through their grief. It’s a tremendous loss,” Hanks said.

Kolodin leaves his wife, two daughters and a son, Hanks said.

--Bay City News