In 59 years, Bob Winters has had plenty of time to make plenty of impact in plenty of young lives.

As a leader in public school music programs since graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in 1951, Winters has literally made his mark on upwards of thousands of kids during his long career. He has taught them music, expanding their intellect, creativity and silliness, and he has acted as a friend - and in recent years - a grandpa to many.

Winters attempted to retire back in 1981 when Parkland Elementary School in Franklin Pierce School District closed. Parkland was his first job out of college, where he taught before moving on to start band programs at Ford Junior High School and Franklin Pierce High School. He was called back to Parkland in 1970 to head an experimental schools initiative backed by a federal education grant.

That grant made it possible for every student at Parkland to receive a musical instrument and music instruction. It was Winters’ dream come true.

When the school closed, Winters went into partial retirement. Then he got roped back into the music scene by the administrators at Concordia Lutheran School on Tacoma’s East Side. They never had music instruction, and wanted Winters to do what he had done for music at Parkland at their school.

Now, 28 years later, he is really retiring. At 82 years old, Winters is surely as vibrant and fun as ever, but he says it is time to call it quits.

“My body feels fine, but my ears are way past their time,” he joked.

Winters is retiring in order to spend more time with his wife Carolyn, but still plans to continue doing private instruction part time.

“The kids keep you young,” he said. “You have to keep hoppin’ to keep up with them.”

Winters began playing trumpet in high school and assumed the teacher’s role not long after.

“Our high-school band teacher was drafted so my cousin and I took over the band program - or else there wasn’t going to be one,” he said.

In college, Winters continued taking music classes and saw teaching as the most natural career path.

“But I thought I could never do what my teachers did,” he humbly added. “I never thought I was their equal, but I tried my best.”

Winters’ impact on students and success as a teacher becomes obvious when flipping through the alumni letters and photos included in a memory book given to Winters as a parting gift.

“Mr. Winters encouraged me to do band, and have a great time doing it,” said Spencer Broden on his last day of sixth grade at Concordia. “I’ve come from not being able to play at all to being really good.”

Broden first picked up the saxophone three years ago, and because of Winters’ encouragement, he was one of a handful of fifth graders to join the advanced class.

Winters has had many of his students go on to work in music professionally, noting one in particular who became lead trumpeter in the Cincinnati Philharmonic.

In the last 28 years at Concordia, Winters has single handedly started and cultivated a music program that rivals any today.

“I think the program we have here nowadays is getting to be really exceptional, and a lot of schools are cutting music programs,” he said. “Music is one of the best things to develop your brain. We give them something special.”

It is still undetermined who will take over the music program at Concordia next year, but it is clear that Mr. Winters will not be soon forgotten.

“We have had a lot of fun. He is a really great teacher,” Broden said. “I’m going to miss Mr. Winters - a lot.”