Bob Cottrill rehabbing at home finally

Bob Cottrill, Class of 1951, has been rehabbing at home for a month after spending two months in the Life Care Center in Palm Bay, Florida, which is 5 miles from Bob’s home in Melbourne.

Bob Cottrill

Bob broke his thigh bone while dancing. Honest! He was jitterbugging. His shoes didn’t slide. His body tried to slide but couldn't.

Bob has a therapist coming to his home, where he gets around with the assistance of a cane. He uses a walker when he goes to a restaurant for dining with his wife, Thelma. And, when his therapist is there, does some walking with the cane on the sidewalk.

Thelma, her daughter and her daughter’s husband helped set up the Cottrills’ Melbourne home before Bob left the rehab facility.

Total recovery from a thigh bone fracture can take up to six months so Bob is halfway there.

Bob has heard from Duane Harbert and Arlene Marteney Edgell, both also Class of 1951, since his mishap. And me, of course.

Arlene is married to Okla Edgell, Class of 1944, who played football for Monongah High and was a POW in Germany during World War II.

Duane lives in Marlinton, New Jersey. Duane’s mother, Goldie, taught at Worthington Grade School. Duane’s father, Frank Harbert, was principal of Thoburn Elementary in Monongah. Duane’s brother, John Harbert, Class of 1955, and John's wife, Karen Colvin Harbert, also class of 1955, are deceased.

Bob graduated from Fairmont State in three years, began a teaching career in biology and general science and coaching at Ohio's Wapakoneta High School – astronaut Neil Armstrong’s hometown.

He advanced to helping the State of Ohio Board of Education with school financing and implementation of fair busing, from his office in Parma. Then in 1982-88 he was director of business administration handling such things as bus routing while assistant superintendent of Brunswick, Ohio schools. He was school principal in Northfield, Ohio near Akron.