JOHN COMFORT: OBITUARY/PART TWO
Nancy Mitchell continues. . .
“It was a rebel act on his part to go into education. . . His father did not support it for a long time. (His daughter) said, ‘Father’s love of education-- he became a math teacher-- sprang from his love of people. His first of love was people and the best way is to educate that person,’ said Basefsky, a Middle School Spanish teacher. All told, three of the four Comfort children have taught school.
“(His daughter adds), He didn’t teach facts; he taught how to learn facts and he taught how to learn facts. . . and he taught how to live life.’
“Mr. Comfort came to Denver in 1964 to serve as Headmaster of Graland Country Day School. He spent 11 years at Graland, where he opened the door for minority students, before moving to Louisiana for five years. He returned to Denver in 1980 to serve as Headmaster at St. Anne’s Episcopal School, a job he held until 1994.
“ As Headmaster, he was personable and personal. At Graland he shook each student’s hand every morning. If he didn’t know their name by the first week of school, a lollipop was dispensed.
“He had a true gift for seeing potential in someone. . . and seeing it before that person even knew it was there.
“Among those Mr. Comfort helped was a young man named Christopher who wanted to teach in America. Mr. Comfort gave him a job at Graland and a home for a year. That young teacher is now a college professor in Maryland.
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
