ROBERT JOE "B.J." LANGE

When I moved to Wilton and into the Lange neighborhood, I was a lonely boy of 10 and a lover of all sports. BJ and Marty made me feel a part of the neighborhood and a part of Wilton. One of the many fond memories I have was the game of bunt baseball that he created. I imagine he took that game to his teaching. I remember reading the Chip Hilton books and realizing years later that BJ was Chip Hilton. Watching the movie, "Sandlot," reminds me of the many sports games that I experienced...

I was very saddened to hear about the passing of Mr. Lange. Being a student in his AP American History class, I always looked forward to his challenging and thought-provoking lessons. He was a fantastic and hard-working teacher. May he rest in peace. -class of `07, elementary teacher

I will always remember AP US History with Mr. Lange fondly (well, and remember when he would select "stars of the day" to answer all of the day´s questions with a bit of terror, but it sure kept me on my toes/doing the reading!). It definitely stood out as one of my more challenging courses, especially when oral and written book reports were involved. I also remember him introducing me to the term "MRS Degree" when I asked him for a letter of recommendation for college and him encouraging me...

I am so sorry for our loss. B. J. was a wonderful colleague. I have so many fond memories of sharing lunch room duties, eating lunch together, and hearing him regale all of us with stories of Andy and Jo. We even enjoyed sharing complaints with each other (mostly during lunchroom duty!). His passing is a great loss to us all. My condolences.

I am so very sorry to hear of BJ´s passing. I have many fond memories of going to watch him play basketball. He and his wife visited mom (Mary Hoekstra) when they were in town and she thoroughly enjoyed they´re company. My heart and prayers go out to all the family. Special personal thoughts and prayers to my friend, Loralyn.

As a former student of LZHS, class of 1986, Mr. Lange is was one of my favorite teachers & coaches. He was fair, engaging yet strict and demanding in the classroom as well as on the court. I don´t remember our volleyball team placing first or winning any regional games but Mr. Lange was always encouraging and positive with our team. He will be missed.

I met BJ when I first started teaching at LZHS. A few years later we co sponsored the class of 81. He was always fun to be around. He had so many great stories to share. He was a wonderful man. Condolences to the family.

A beautifully written tribute to BJ. I learned some things I never knew about him and had my fond feelings towards him reinforced. Our condolences to Jo and the entire family. He will be missed.

BJ was a colleague and a friend. Many knew BJ as a history teacher and coach, but he was so much more. As his obit tells, BJ was a true renaissance man. As comfortable talking about sports or politics as he was fixing some plumbing or replacing wipers on the car; he was no stranger to music, the arts and a plethora of interests. His intelligence and curiosity gave him the motivation to search and discover knowledge about everything. I will miss our conversations, which often began on the...