Kolb, Bruce D., passed away April 9, 2009. He was born in Chicago and a resident of John Knox Village in Pompano Beach. Mr. Kolb served as a captain in the U.S. Army Infantry. He retired from many years of teaching at Stranahan High School where he taught Spanish, history and law enforcement. He served as a captain in the Fort Lauderdale Police Reserves. Mr. Kolb graduated from the University of Miami where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and was the regimental colonel of the army ROTC. He did post graduate study in foreign language at the University of Florida, and earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Mr. Kolb is survived by four nephews, Randall Hoover of New Hampshire, Douglas Hoover of Maryland, Jedd Hoover of Connecticut and Mark Hoover of Florida. Mr. Kolb will be remembered as part of the regularly scheduled monthly Service of Remembrance at John Knox Village on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 3:30 PM in the John Knox Village Auditorium, 200 Lakeside Circle, Pompano Beach. Memorial donations to the Benevolent Endowment Fund and/or New Health Center Fund of John Knox Village may be sent to John Knox Village, 651 SW 6th Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060. Published in Sun-Sentinel on 4/22/2009

Memories of Mr. Kolb By Jim Decker, Class of 1967

I knew Bruce Kolb. I had the privilege of working with him. I have such respect for him I will, from this point, refer to him as Mr. Kolb. After SHS I was personally invited by the U.S. Army to help them out with this “war” thing that they had going on. It was in all the newspapers. I was gone for several years before leaving active duty and returning to Fort Lauderdale. Using the GI Bill I finished college with the forlorn hope of becoming a history teacher. At this same time a classmate, Jim Slusser, talked me into applying for the position of police officer with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. They personally invited them to help them out with this “crime” thing they had going on. It was in all the newspapers. This is where I actually met Mr. Kolb. I was never one of his students but recognized him in the hallways of SHS. Many years later, in the hallways of the police department, he looked familiar but I couldn’t place him. He was a Police Reserve and I was a fulltime police officer. Back then reserves came in two flavors. The first, wearing light blue shirts, didn’t have sufficient State training to have powers of arrest etc. They had to ride with one of us to take police action. The second group wore all dark blue uniforms. They had all the powers that the rest of us did but just chose to do it part time. I can only remember Mr. Kolb in dark blue. The Reserves always puzzled me in that they were “normal” people with “normal” lives and “normal’ jobs. Why they wanted to be “Batman” a few nights a month was beyond me. They were paid almost nothing for their time. Most of us treated them as equals and trusted them to perform like anyone else. Over the next few years I worked on the road with Mr. Kolb on evening shift. He was there frequently and even backed me up on calls. We also shared the chaos of “Spring Break” and the New Year’s Eve “riots”. We mostly worked the south end of the beach, “The Strip”, which could get crazy. I always remember him as, what we called in the Special Forces, a “Quiet Professional”. These were men that were adept in all the skills necessary to “do the deed” but never felt the need to tell everyone. I never witnessed him in an all out physical confrontation but he was always in control of any situation. I can still picture him with his ever present half smile and quiet demeanor. One night we were booking prisoners and I bumped into him in the write-up room. My curiosity got the better of me and I initiated a pop quiz. I said, “Bruce besides here, where the hell do I know you from?” I felt sheepish in a matter of minuets when the correct answer turned out to be “Stranahan”. At that moment he had a big smile on his face and my perception of him changed forever. In the police environment one eventually gets reassigned. In time, with the exception of chance encounters in the hall I lost all track of him. I am not sure how much longer he stayed here. It may have been up to the time when they sort of disbanded the Reserves in the normal sense. Some of them still work here, as I do, but in other capacities. I’ll make sure they get the word on Mr. Kolb. Mr. Kolb served his country, his community and through his teaching made a bunch of kids better people. It would be very hard to find a better man. Thanks Mr. Kolb Submitted by Jim Decker 02/10/10

Memories of Mr. Kolb By Jim Decker, Class of 1967

Mr. Bruce Kolb was not only a great teacher, at Stranahan HS, but he was also my personal friend. My name is James Ceronsky, class of 65, Mr. Kolb had rented a duplex apartment, in Ft.Lauderdale, Fl., from my parents, when I was still in Rogers Junior High School. Bruce was always willing to help any one, who asked, and is fondly remembered. Submitted by Jim Ceronsky 02/26/14

Memories of Mr. Kolb By Mary Sue Copeland Mr Kolb was my Spanish teacher. One Halloween, a group of us decided to toilet paper his lawn, at the duplex he rented. He promised me, that if he found out I was involved, my feet would never touch the football field again. I was on the drill team and he was one of the judges for tryouts, to return the following year. He was good for his word. We made friends again later in life, however, and he became my client when I practiced law. He was always interested in his students, wanted to see them do well, and behave appropriately. Submitted by Mary Sue Copeland 07/15/22