Necrology

Lawrence Robert Kollath '85

Jan. 26, 1963-Jan. 27, 2020

Lawrence Robert Kollath ’85, a math teacher, nature enthusiast, and wilderness survival expert, most recently of Asheville, N.C., was born on Jan. 26, 1963, in Syracuse, N.Y., a son of Gloria and Bruce Kollath. He spent much of his childhood playing basketball, which he continued to pursue at Hamilton and throughout his teaching career.

A member of Delta Upsilon fraternity and a mathematics major at the College, Kollath took to the court for the Continentals, where he greatly admired legendary coach Tom Murphy, according to correspondence in his College file. A two-time All-American, he scored 1,297 points during his Hamilton career. In 2003, he was honored by the College, and his jersey was permanently hung in rafters of the Bundy Scott Field House.

After graduation, Kollath served in the U.S. Air Force as a survival instructor, teaching potentially downed pilots how to subsist in the wild. After five years, he transferred that skill to civilian life by moving to Seattle and starting a business teaching civilians how to survive in the woods.

Kollath earned two master’s degrees, constantly took online courses, and pursued lectures from the Teaching Company in his thirst for knowledge, according to a published obituary. He first worked as a traditional school educator at the Winchendon (Mass.) School, where he taught high school math and biology for three years and also worked as a basketball coach. He next went to the Marvelwood School in Kent, Conn., as a teacher and coach, and also ran Wilderness Way, an after-school hiking and canoeing program.

After nine years, Kollath moved to Asheville, where he again taught math, coached basketball, and helped with the outdoor program at the Asheville School. He spent 13 years nurturing students and faculty there before leaving due to his final illness.

Kollath’s most recent pursuits were electronic circuitry, chaos theory, woodworking, nature journaling, and birding, the obituary noted. He led by example, encouraging in others a zest for knowledge.

Kollath died on Jan. 27, 2020. He was 57 years old and is survived by his wife, the former Marbie Guyon.

 

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