The following is the tribute given by Bob Marshall at the dinner on Saturday, June 24, 2000:

I cannot begin to express how happy I am to be here at the 40th reunion of
the HHS Class of 1960 and the 39th reunion of the HHS Class of 1961. Never
have I had the opportunity to hug so many beautiful ladies and renew
friendships with so many dashing and handsome young men.

My memories of HHS, and I hope yours, are very, very good. I remember fun,
friendships, and, of course, a great education -- Mr. Rockwell in Math and
Ms. Newman diagramming sentences in English and all the rest of our great
teachers. And, while it's great that we're all present, we need to pause
and remember our friends who could not join us because of distance, work,
or family obligations and those who simply cannot join us.

Thanks from all of us to all of you who put in the effort to organize the
reunion for us all. Great events like this do not just happen -- lots of
dedicated hours make it work.

My main purpose for being up here before you tonight is to pay tribute to
Ralph Tasker -- teacher and coach. I assure you that accomplishing this
will not take too long when we visit about a man like Coach Tasker when
everyone of us already knows what a great individual he was. When asked to
do this, it took less than a second of thought to say "yes." I feel
honored to have been asked, because I am sure any of you who had Coach
Tasker as a teacher or coach would have welcomed the opportunity to pay
tribute to him -- he was simply that type of person.

There are several points I would like to make in this tribute. First, his
reputation as a coach was legend. He was known in basketball circles
throughout the United States. I followed information about him in the New
York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Miami newspapers. He was an admired
man. When he retired Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senators, Governors,
Mayors -- you name them -- everyone paid him tribute. So, it's no small
task to follow such an illustrious group of individuals.

But, I would like to share a few points of tribute from the HHS student
view and specifically an HHS student who did not go on to greater things in
basketball beyond HHS either as a player or as a coach.

One major memory I have of Coach Tasker is as the man who dressed in grey
sweat pants and a faded tee shirt and who wore glasses (which were somewhat
thick) that rested somewhere on his nose. This was the man who showed up
almost everyday of the week in off season at the gym to open the doors to
all who needed a place to be and who wanted to play a bit of half-court
basketball. The gym always opened, basketballs appeared, and the games
were on -- oh yes, and if a team were one man short -- that man in the
sweats and faded tee shirt would join in -- and, it was then that you found
out that he was not only a basketball genius -- but he was also an expert
player. There have been many weekend days in my life I would have liked to
play half-court with that man again.

A second major memory I have of the Coach was as a teacher of young people
to be the best they could be. For example, when basketball season came
around, the coach didn't always find himself with immense talent like Bill
Bridges, Hollis "Goose" Clay, or Don Abbott. Most often he had a group of
enthusiastic, but raw, talent packaged in undersized frames, much like
me. He always knew how to use the talent at hand. For example, I never
deemed myself to be too fast, but the Coach said I was, but he said I
simply ran too long in one spot to get started. So, he always had me play
at the top of the key so I had a head start on everyone in a fast break or
to get back on defense.

I also remember a young man whose name I cannot remember who tried out for
the varsity team but did not make it. But, in this case what impressed me
was how the Coach would work hard and creatively with everyone to bring out
their best. One day at practice this young man was letting the person he
was guarding get away from him because he kept trying to sag off and help
others. Finally, the coach stopped practice, called the young man over and
said, "I want you to stay with your man no matter what others do and I want
you within an arm's length of him no matter where he
goes. Understand? And, if you don't stay with him its 10 laps." Practice
resumed and several minutes into it (by prearrangement I would guess) the
man to whom the fellow was assigned simply ran off the court up about 15
rows of bleachers and sat down. The young man guarding him was frozen in
his tracks on the court. The Coach blew the whistle and said, "Where's
your man? Are you within an arm's length of him?" The young man began an
explanation, but looked at the coach and knew he had learned a
lesson. "Was that 10 laps I was to run, Coach Tasker," he asked.

The Coach spent a career of 49 years (coming to HHS in 1950) devoting
himself to class after class after class of HHS graduates, like those of us
in this room tonight. He had numerous opportunities to go elsewhere, but ,
instead, he remained a tried and true HHS Eagle much to our good fortune.

I've spent almost 32 years as a teacher in my own career, and I know some
of you may teach also. The one thing a teacher always wonders after having
a student in his class is "did I somehow make a difference in that person's
life -- even in the smallest way?" That is the quest of a teacher. And,
to Coach Ralph Tasker I say "Coach, YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE."


We have a plaque which will be presented to the Coach's family from our
combined classes, and I would like to read it aloud to you and to him
tonight, because we know he is listening.

        FROM THE HHS GRADUATES OF 1960 & 1961

        IN MEMORY OF AND TRIBUTE TO

        RALPH TASKER

When we think of people from our past who helped us grow, you ar one we
remember.  As a teacher and a coach, you encouraged us to be the best we
could be as individuals and a team players.  In following your example we
became winners in our lives.  But, in our eyes, your efforts on our behalf
made you the biggest winner of all, both on and off the court.

THANKS, COACH