With some people, flowery words just aren't needed to describe their personality and impact on others. Kerm Bennett was such a person.

Bennett, who succumbed to cancer last Wednesday at the age of 68, dedicated 46 years of his life to the educational system as a teacher, coach, athletic director, superintendent and consultant. In those years, Bennett had a positive impact on the communities in Central Point, Eagle Point, Grants Pass, Medford, Roseburg and St. Helens, as well as a career-launching run in the Castro Valley School District in California.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 20 in the student commons area at Grants Pass High School. The full obituary for Bennett, who is survived by Sara ­— his wife of 23 years — among others, can be found online at www.mailtribune.com.

"It's almost trite and maybe it lacks sophistication when you say someone's a good guy, but in Kerm's case, any other term would be superficial because that's exactly what he was," said Bill Welch, one of Bennett's classmates at Southern Oregon College and peers during his time in Roseburg. "He was just a good, good guy."

"Every place that Kerm went, whether it was Eagle Point, Medford, Roseburg, Grants Pass or wherever," Welch added, "he was a positive educator and did good things for the kids in all those communities."

In testament to that, colleagues from each community spoke Wednesday about the strong sense that Bennett was "one of their own." Although he often spoke fondly of his childhood days in Central Point and of the pride he had as a 1959 Crater High graduate, Bennett was just as comfortable in the various shoes he wore during every other stop on his lifelong journey of service.

"I think any place Kerm went, people embraced him as their own because that was the kind of guy he was," said Randy Gravon, who was tabbed by a Bennett-led committee to take over as superintendent of the Central Point School District in 2005. "He acted like he was one of your own. He never met anybody that wasn't his friend. Whether he met you for the first time or had known you for years, he treated everybody the same."

In acknowledging Bennett's legacy, a moment of silence was held before Tuesday's boys basketball games at North and South Medford high schools that featured visitors Grants Pass and Roseburg, respectively.

"That was neat because those were three school districts that he was very involved with and had a big impact on," said Larry Binney, former North Medford softball coach and long-time friend of Bennett.

Bennett earned six varsity letters in football, basketball and track and field while at Crater High, earning honorable mention all-state honors in football during his senior year. He later went on to success at what is now known as Southern Oregon University, where he earned four letters in football and two in track. He led the team in rushing and scoring in 1962, and his 12 touchdowns stood as the single-season school record until eclipsed in 1997 by Griff Yates.

He was later honored with Hall of Fame enshrinements at Crater High and SOU.

During an October 2004 phone interview with this Mail Tribune reporter, Bennett said it was his experiences in high school and college that helped formulate a plan for future endeavors.

"I just remember the whole experience of high school athletics as being very special to me," he said at the time from his beloved 34-foot boat — the Sara Lee — on the Columbia River. "I guess that's why I'm such an advocate for kids being involved in athletics today. I just wish every kid could have the same experience I had."

He spent the better part of his professional career striving for that goal.

He's remembered fondly as a teacher, coach, principal and interim superintendent at Eagle Point High. The same goes for his time as teacher, coach, assistant superintendent and athletic director in Roseburg. After accepting a different challenge as owner and manager of a real estate office, Bennett returned to the educational system as athletic director in Medford. He later served as assistant superintendent and superintendent in the Grants Pass School District between 1992 and 2002 and interim superintendent in St. Helens from 2003-04.

"I just never could keep a job," Bennett said with a laugh in 2004 of his ping-pong career.

Bennett said his stint in St. Helens would mark his second and final retirement, but he returned to the area in 2004 as a consultant for the superintendent post in Central Point. In 2007 he wrapped up a one-year term as Eagle Point's interim superintendent and was replaced by Cynda Rickert. That year he also served on a committee with Stan Smith and former SOU peers Ron Williams, Binney and Welch that reinstated the university's Hall of Fame.

Last January, Bennett was also hired as a consultant to conduct a search for the Southern Oregon Education Service District's new superintendent. The committee eventually hired Scott Perry in late April.

"I can only wish that my legacy would be the same because Kerm never said 'No' and had such a love of education, specifically in Southern Oregon, that he would do anything to help if help was needed," said Tom Blanchard, athletic director at Grants Pass High and one of Bennett's prime contemporaries.

Blanchard said the loss of Bennett was not only great for Grants Pass, but even more for him and his wife Pam, who served as Bennett's personal secretary during his tenure and traded daily e-mails with Bennett — usually with the latest and best joke — up to the end.

"He and (his wife) Sara were good personal friends of my wife and I," added Blanchard. "This is a great loss for us personally and professionally."

Blanchard said Bennett set the bar high for administrators with his astute leadership and ability to leave everyone feeling valued and important.

"That leadership word is so overused but in Kerm's case, it's the essence of the man," said Blanchard, "and we would follow him because we trusted him. I know he's better now, but you just miss people like that because there aren't enough of them."

Bennett's common-sense approach also came with a no-nonsense, but humorous, flair. Blanchard, who started as Bennett's peer but transitioned to him becoming a boss and mentor, recalled a time years ago when he was "acting like I'm something special in the Grants Pass School District" and went overboard ranting and raving at Bennett, among others.

"About 10 minutes later there was a knock on my office door and it was Kerm," recalled Blanchard. "He said, 'Coach, can I see you for a minute?' I said, 'Sure,' and he sat down, calmly put his elbows on the desk, looked at me and said, 'Now who the hell do you think you were talking to?' I quickly admitted to my mistake and apologized and said it wouldn't happen again, and he just looked back at me and said, 'Great. So, how are you doing?' That's the measure of the man. He took care of it and then it was over and done with."

In truth, Blanchard said Bennett's initial words might've been a little more colorful, but the lesson was the same.

"When you're in a position of leadership and authority like Kerm and have the ability to tell someone 'No' and they can leave and be OK with it, that's a helluva talent ... and he had that ability," said Blanchard.

Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail khenry@mailtribune.com