Wayne Coburn, a gentle giant in education

Wayne Coburn was tall -- he stood 6 feet 7 -- but he wasn't known as "the gentle giant" because he towered over his students.

He gained the nickname for all of the big hugs and words of encouragement and affirmations he gave to those he taught for more than three decades.

"'Giant' in another definition means a person of importance or significance," said Sean Martens, principal at Trinity Lone Oak School in Eagan, where Coburn had taught fourth grade since the beginning of the current school year. "He was a giant in our school in that way. He was a very loving man with a servant's heart and always patting people on the back. Many families said he made their children feel as if they were his favorite. He had a major impact here."

Coburn, 61, died of an apparent heart attack New Year's Day at his home in Andover.

He befriended countless students during his 36 years of teaching at Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Spring Lake Park, where he taught with his wife, Peggy, until the school closed in June. He introduced students to line dancing, tumbling and relay games as a physical education and second-grade teacher who was known for rooting on the underdog and singing in his classroom, said son Brandon, of Burnsville.

"He was famous for his big hugs" and for making them feel as if "they were most important person in the world," he said. "He loved being around kids. The kids liked having him."

Many of them turned out for his wake, which drew an estimated crowd of 1,100. So many turned out for services last week that 350 people had to watch on closed-circuit TV in a room adjacent to the church at Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran.

"He always impressed me at how he'd complement players on the opposing team," Martens said. "He always had good sportsmanship and was positive as a coach while teaching kids what to do."

When he interviewed for the job at Trinity, Coburn was asked, "How do you think students describe you?" He said, "As 'a gentle giant,'" Martens said.

Born in St. Paul, Coburn graduated from Central High School in 1966. He didn't play basketball until the coach saw him in the hall during his senior year, got him a pair of shoes and asked him to play, his son said. Coburn went on to play basketball and set records at nearby Concordia University. He earned a teaching degree from the school and in 1994 was inducted into its athletic Hall of Fame.

Coburn liked fishing and spending time at the family cabin near Aitkin, Minn. His favorite times were casting and trolling on his pontoon boat. He also was a birdwatcher and played various sports in city recreational leagues, his family said.