Robert Hallett, a longtime Baltimore County school librarian who invented a spandex-clad superhero to motivate children to read, died Monday of a rare form of leukemia. The Reisterstown resident was 60.
Mr. Hallett, who was called Bob when not assuming one of his alter egos, spent much of his more than 30-year career as a library-media specialist at Riderwood Elementary in Towson, where staff, parents and students described him as central to the school's spirit and culture. After his diagnosis and hospitalization several months ago, the community raised funds for his family through "Team Hallett" bumper stickers and wristbands, and gathered in a twice-weekly prayer group.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss, and we understand that his passing is going to have a profound impact not only on the students but the faculty, the staff and the parents as well," Principal Kathy DeHart said Tuesday. "We also celebrate his love of teaching and his infinite contributions to Riderwood and Baltimore County schools."
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., and raised in Levittown on Long Island, N.Y., Mr. Hallett attended Division Avenue High School, said his wife of 25 years, the former Debby Kessler. He went on to the State University of New York at New Paltz, and then received a graduate degree in educational media from Purdue University.
Mr. Hallett moved to the county school system in 1974, starting out at Riderwood Elementary, according to school officials. Over the next three decades, he would also take his talents to Church Lane and Hernwood elementaries, as well as Kenwood High, to name a few. In 1996, he returned to Riderwood, where he remained until his death.
At Riderwood, his library became a world designed to captivate the students coming through his doors - something he succeeded in doing so well that many remember his magic tricks and the oddities he placed around the room, including a clock with backward numbers, years after they left the school.
"It was really, really fun to have a teacher like that, who was so friendly and outgoing and a lot of fun," said Annie Bishai, a junior at Towson High and one of four siblings to attend Riderwood. "He brought a lot of life to the school."
"I think anyone who's been through that school ... knows Mr. Hallett and appreciates Mr. Hallett," said Martha Bishai, one of many parents who said they came to know his humor and kindness.
