I try to read the newspaper every day, most of the sections, including the obituaries.

I find that reading about people who have left us is interesting. You can learn about their life, what they meant to others and even a little about history.

That is what drew me to the name of Robert Wayne Hendricks, who died on Jan. 25 at the age of 82 and whose service is on Saturday (Feb. 9).

Growing up in the Valley, I remember his name being associated with sports, and later learned about some of his accomplishments from people like Barry Sollenberger, the late historian for the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

Barry attended Arcadia High in east Phoenix, when the school was in its heyday after opening in 1959, competing in track and field.

Bob Hendricks was Arcadia’s athletic director and football coach, and led the Titans to a 12-0 season and Class 3A state championship in 1960 and a 10-1 record and Class 5A championship in 1962.

He had come from Scottsdale High, and after leaving Arcadia went on to open another school in Scottsdale, Saguaro, where he was an assistant principal. And he later was principal at Scottsdale Coronado.

Hendricks grew up in Ajo and was a star athlete there, and went on to play quarterback for Arizona State. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, but decided to pursue a career in education.

And what a career it was. He earned numerous awards from the community, but it was how he shaped the lives of athletes and students in Scottsdale and east Phoenix that counted the most.

For that, he should be commended.