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MORRISTOWN -- The Union Local athletic community, as well as western Belmont County, lost one of its most staunch supporters over the weekend when Dennis "Tug" Robson died after an extended illness.
The 67-year-old was a long time fixture at Union Local sporting events up until about five years ago, especially football and basketball games, as he served as both sports' equipment manager.
"He was an icon here," Superintendent and former Jets hoops head coach Ben Porter said. "His heart was to do things for the kids, be it as a role model or taking money from his own pocket to help a kid out. He was always around the school, football field or baseball and softball diamonds.
"Due to his declining health he wasn't around as much the last couple of years," Porter continued, "but he did everything from washing football uniforms to helping run youth basketball tournaments."
One thing people probably didn't know about Tug, he volunteered all of his work and was never an employee of the school district.
"He was never on our payroll," Porter noted. "He volunteered the entire time."
Despite his longstanding relationship with Tug, Porter couldn't single out one specific story or moment that stands out.
"There were countless things we talked about over the years," he said. "I guess the Milk Series could be one because he was the driving force to behind that getting started."
Several years back when Mark Cisar was football coach and athletic director for the Jets, Tug approached him about creating a trophy for the Barnesville-Union Local rivalry game. As they say, the rest is history as the "Milk Games" now have a trophy for each sport -- male and female. He also founded the Bethesda Independent Sports.
"That was one thing he was very proud of," Cisar explained. "He was very organized and was all about UL sports. He was an awesome guy."
Although the two didn't get along all of the time, it wasn't long before they were talking again.
"Over my eight years, we became super friends, but we also had our disagreements," Cisar said. "Tug was tough to get along with, but that was Tug."
Former Union Local football coach Jake Olsavsky also recalled his dealings with Tug.
"He did everything. He was there all the time. He was a fixture," Olsavsky said. "And he did it without getting paid. He was a great behind-the-scenes guy who will be missed."
Current football coach and UL alum Bruce Stiles also had good things to say about Tug, although Stiles spent most of his career at St. Clairsville.
"He is going to be missed an awful lot by people in the athletic department," Stiles allowed. "He was also a big part of the community, as well. He gave his time and effort for nothing in return, and he did a lot of great things."
Another pair of UL graduates who are members of the football and basketball coaching staffs -- Vaughn Butler and Mike Menges -- recalled their dealings with Tug.
"I was probably a sophomore when I got associated with him," Butler recalled. "I played on his softball teams in the Bethesda Independent Sports and Centerville leagues. That's where I got to know him really well. He was a special person who would do anything for anybody."
Butler said when a school janitor was going to throw out all of the old boys basketball scorebooks from years past, Tug took them and saved them.
"He saved a lot of boys basketball history," Butler said. "They were just going to destroy them, but he got them and gave them to me a few years later. I still have them."
Growing up in Bethesda, Menges knew Tug his entire life.
"I played on his softball team when I was 16-17 years old," Menges said. "I've got a lot of fond memories of Tug."
Menges started coaching at UL about 10 years ago as a member of Cisar's staff. He used to chauffeur Tug around because Tug didn't have a driver's license.
"I used to pick him up in the morning and take him to either the school or the football field," Menges recalled. "I'd drop him off then I wouldn't see him again until I was taking him home after practice.
"Tug was one of those people that treated the people the way he wanted them to treat him," Menges added. "He could definitely impact your life. He took his job seriously, even though he never got paid. You'd thought he was getting paid a million dollars for the work he did."
One thing that Butler and Menges both remembered was that Tug was a stickler for every player dressing the same.
"When I was playing softball for him, he always wanted us to wear the stirrup socks over top of our plain white socks," Butler said. "I didn't like them so I wouldn't take mine. He'd see that and always throw an extra pair he had at me."
Menges recalled a time he was driving the equipment truck home from an away game.
"We were coming back from a game one night and we had won, but Tug was mad. He was upset," Menges said. "I asked him what was wrong and he said, 'Did you see so-and-so had this on or didn't have that on. Didn't it just look terrible?'
"I used to tell him I didn't care how we looked. I cared about how we played," Menges added.
When he wasn't supporting Union Local athletics, Tug could be found watching Barnesville sporting events, as well.
"Tug was the driving force and the pioneer behind the formation of the 'Milk Games' between Union Local and Barnesville in the Backyard Rivalry," Barnesville Athletic Director Mark Cook said. "The leg work he did to form the series is insurmountable. The formation of the 'Milk Games' has even generated more of an interest in our games."
Both Union Local and Barnesville will wear helmet decals honoring Tug's name on Oct. 28.
Family and friends are invited to visit from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. until the time of service beginning at 11 a.m. at Patron Funeral Homes & Crematory Kelly Kemp Braido, 322 N. Main St., Bethesda. Pastor Kim McFarland will officiate. Interment will follow at Ebenezer Cemetery, Bethesda.