Longtime science teacher found dead at Stuttgart's Patch High School

Stars and Stripes ^ | Tuesday, April 16, 2002 | David Josar

[Lauratealeaf]

STUTTGART, Germany — Robert Hanks, a longtime Patch High School science teacher, was found dead at the school Saturday around 6 p.m.

The cause of death is under investigation, according to Department of Defense Dependents Schools spokesman Frank O’Gara.

The school convened a crisis intervention team over the weekend.

As school resumed Monday, the team members worked with faculty and students to deal with the death, O’Gara said.

Hanks, 66, sold pretzels in the front lobby of the school each day to raise money to defray the costs of feeding the animals he kept that were part of his biology classes.

Hanks, a 31-year veteran of DODDS, had taught seventh grade science and biology at Patch since 1979. He previously taught at Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom and Böblingen Elementary School in the Stuttgart area.

Patch’s acting principal, Pat Cosby, described him as "the heart of the school."

He is survived by his widow, Maureen, who is the registrar at Patch, and two adult children, Christopher and Joanne.

Details of a memorial service are still being planned.

[Lauratealeaf]

We were told that Mr. Hanks committed suicide. The details are very unsettling.

[Bahbah]

Perhaps he was ill. It sounds like he was a very "together" person otherwise.

[Tai_Chung]

Patch American High School in Stuttgart, Germany. PAHS was opened in 1979 and provides instruction to more than 570 students in grades seven through twelve. The school staff averages around 50 teachers, specialists, clerical, administrative, and technical personnel. The school is located on Patch Barracks.

Patch is located on the Western edge of the city of Stuttgart in the village of Vaihingen. Stuttgart is considered the home of both Mercedes and Porsche cars. Stuttgart is located on the Neckar River, which connects by barge to the Rhine River. Patch Barracks is the home of EUCOM- European Command and the 6th Area Support Group.

[Lauratealeaf]

I teach at Patch Elementary School which is across the yard from Patch High School. We were told on Monday morning that Mr. Hanks committed suicide and left his wife a note. But, the circumstances of his suicide are so upsetting. He was a beloved teacher at the high school Recently when talking to some of his students he discussed the Palestinian suicide bombers and condemned it strongly. He was supposed to go to dinner with his wife and a friend and told them that he would meet them at the restaurant later after he checked on things at school. (It was Spring Break and school would resume on Monday.) When he didn't arrive at the restaurant and didn't answer any pages his wife and friend went to the school to see what was wrong. They found him hanging in the hallway outside his classroom. A lot of people who knew him are really confused about the suicide because he was a fine man and didn't seem to be the type. But, there is the note and some said that he had been depressed recently. This has upset many people over here as the DODDS community is really close-knit.