Naugatuck Native, Enfield Coach, Remembered

Bob Lengyel, one of the longest-tenured high school coaches in Connecticut and a member of the Naugatuck and Enfield Athletic Halls of Fame, passed away Saturday. He was 74.

Lengyel , and still has family in the area. He began teaching physical education in Enfield in 1966, and every year since then, he was a head or assistant coach of at least one sport. Most recently, he was in his second stint as golf coach at .

"We are shocked," Enfield High School principal Tom Duffy said. "Bob was part of our physical education staff when I got here, and he was always a well-respected, personable man."

Longtime Enfield baseball coach Bob Bromage roomed with Lengyel during their first three years of teaching at the high school.

"I nicknamed Bob the "Duke of Paduka", and for the rest of his career, he became known as the Duke," said Bromage, a 2001 inductee of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame.

After four years as assistant football coach and head golf coach at Enfield, Lengyel moved to  when it opened in 1970-71. He coached boys swimming for 20 years, girls swimming for 10 years, and golf for 16 years. He also coached track and field for six years, and spent 10 years as an assistant football coach for the Falcons under fellow Hall of Famer .

He returned to Enfield High in 1992, retiring from teaching in 2000. He continued his coaching career at the helm of Enfield golf, and his team won the North Central Connecticut Conference championship in 2003 and took co-champion honors in 2008. In his previous tenure, his 1970 golf team won the Capital District Conference title.

 says, "He never missed the opportunity to give anyone a “quick tip” and loved passing on life’s lessons to the thousands of athletes and students whom he coached and taught."

"I saw the Duke about a month ago and immediately got a lecture about weight," Bromage said. "The Duke was a character who loved kids and teaching. He was a natural. If he didn't correct their swing, he corrected their attitude. He was all about having someone do the right thing."

Bromage's wife, Cookie, was a charter member of the Hall of Fame Class of 1996 who spent many years teaching alongside Lengyel.

"Bob was a great teacher - he could break skills down, classes would have fun, and he would always find a "teachable moment" when he would give kids a good lesson on life experiences," she said. "He was a competitive coach and gave 100 percent to his job. When he believed in something, he really pushed for it. Before each class, he would sit his kids down for a few minutes and lecture about his latest idea. I particularly remember the morning he told the kids about laughter and how it was so good for their endorphins - that they needed to laugh each day."

Patrick Droney, a Fermi graduate who later served on the Enfield Board of Education, recalled Lengyel's infinite patience while providing golf instruction.

"I remember with the golf lessons, how patient he was," Droney said. "I really needed a lot of work, and he really took time with me and tried to help me out. He loved kids and he loved sports. Just a tremendous loss for anyone who knew him."

During his 2004 Hall of Fame induction speech, amateur golf champion Bob Linn extended special thanks to his former coach and gym teacher at Fermi.

"I want to thank Bob for allowing me to practice golf while all the other students were playing tennis," Linn said. "I thank you for your foresight."

Like Lengyel, Ray Stoll coached golf at both Enfield and Fermi for 25 years. "Bob was a genuine, dedicated teacher, coach and family man," Stoll said. "He was an easygoing guy who got along with everybody. He did a great job with the kids, teaching them about course strategy."

Lengyel is survived by his wife Sally, his daughter Tracey, his son Robert and three grandchildren, as well as numerous relatives and friends.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Jan. 11  at 11 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, 395 Chestnut St., Springfield. Calling hours will be Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 5-8 p.m. at , 61 South Rd., Enfield.

As of Monday morning, more than a dozen messages of condolence had already been left on theLeete-Stevens web site.

Dominick DePaolo, who swam for Lengyel at Fermi from 1983-85, wrote, "His commitment to making us all become better athletes and people really made a long lasting impression on me that I've never forgotten. I am sure his passing is going to instill a similar feeling of loss in so many students and athletes that he dedicated his time, patience and training to over the years."

Robert Lengyel, who has followed in his dad's footsteps by coaching multiple sports at East Windsor High School, wrote, "I will carry you with me every day of my life, since everything I am came from your goodness...Know that I will live my life to try to become half of the man that you were."

Editor's Note: Tim Jensen is the editor of Enfield Patch, where this story was first posted. Portion of the story relating to Naugatuck were added by Naugatuck Patch Editor Ronald DeRosa.