John Robert Atherton

I had Mr. Atherton at T.W.Browne in the late 60´s. My favorite part of his music class was the folder full of popular music that he pulled out on Friday´s. Songs like "The Girl from Impanema," "Windy," "Up, Up and Away," and "California Dreaming" were all favorites of mine! Thank you Mr. Atherton for such fond memories.

Mr. Atherton...I just needed to stop by and say thank you for the person you were. Through the years I have thought of you and smiled for all the laughter and humanity you brought to your many admiring students. May you rest in peace

Once John Atherton enrolled in “Stretch Exercise” at Martin Weiss Recreation Center here in Dallas our lives would never be the same. He infiltrated our group with a youthful vigor and excitement that was infectious. He “stretched” our imaginations and taught us to be flexible in spirit. I feel that John’s severance of his “earthly ties” is meant to teach us all to stretch even further “beyond these mortal bounds.” dwm

Earth lost a bit of brightness and the Heavens gained a bit of light - what wonderful things have been said about a wonderful man. How nice to be remembered in such a way. May we all be so lucky when our time comes. Mr. Atherton was nothing but entertaining....and a gentle, caring teacher. He will be missed.

Mr. Atherton was a gifted soul with an infectious smile and laugh. I am so thrilled to have have had him as a teacher at both TW Browne and Kimball. May peace be with you all who loved him so much.

I was not in the choir, but being in the band and orchestra at Kimball in the late 70's/early 80's, I got to know John and Richard Bryan pretty well. I have fond memories of both men. John was the lunchroom hall monitor my senior year and his job was to keep students waiting in the hall in order after they had finished lunch. Jon McKinney (God rest his soul) and I used to make it a game to see if we could sneak by Mr A to go hang out in the band hall until lunch was over. I'm sure many of...

I attended T.W.Browne in the early 70's and was so very fortunate to have John as a teacher, and then a friend. How many teachers do you really remember? John was one of the few that made a huge difference. We discovered, some years later, that (many years before) he lived in a boarding house in Portales, NM run by my great grandmother, and that he drove to Dallas with my grandfather, long before I was born, so I've always felt a special connection to this marvelous spirit. His vitality...

What a wonderful light JRA spread everywhere he went! I knew him only as an occaisional substitute at the Talented and Gifted Magnet H.S. between 1993 and 1997. He was always a happy, positive person no matter what. He is the only substitute teacher I remember. However, I remember him fondly. That speaks volumes about just how special he really was.

JRA was certainly one-of-a-kind, as witnessed by all of the previous stellar entries from students; family; fellow 1st Methodist, Dallas, comrades; and other friends. I studied under him at Kimball in 1976-77 my first year there, and admired his work at Browne before, but wasn't assigned to his choir class 1974-76. I remember how he had a drawer labeled "Stems and Pieces" in the choir room at Kimball for all of those things he couldn't file elsewhere. I ran into him occasionally over the...