The Passing of a Sweet Home High School Legend

There are people in your life who make a difference. They're people who are memorable and when you're a school kid they're people who seem to have an impact on the rest of your life.

That's what I felt about Bob Barczak, and I was so sad to hear that he passed away earlier this week. I knew him as Mr. Barczak. He was my gym teacher in elementary school. He later was the high school's wrestling and football coach and oversaw all of the district's sport programs as its athletic director for the better part of three decades.

Sweet Home's current athletic director, Chris DiMarco said of Barczak, “He expected and demanded your best effort no matter what, and you knew that you were going to get his best in return. He was very passionate about the school, the community, the coaches, the students. That’s who he was."

Mr. Barczak was a physically intimidating guy, but when you got to know him you realized he had a big heart and really did care about the students. The football field was named in his honor and he was elected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

The family plans a private funeral service. Rest in peace Mr. Barczak.