The bricks by the commons, the street signs in the hallways, the records on the weight deck and even the flags flown on the stadium bleachers in the fall contain the names of past alumni, students, teachers and coaches. However, one name in particular is certainly missing in this 102-year-old school.

The hallway street signs display the names of respected teachers from each department. If the signs contained the names of previous administrators, students would expect to see the name “Arthur (Art) Blecke” lining the halls.

Blecke is not a name many current students will recognize. Antioch Community High School hired Blecke as the dean of boys in 1966. He was soon promoted to the rank of principal, a role he would spend nearly 25 years in before retiring in 1992.

Only three teachers remain at ACHS from when Blecke was principal. He hired science teacher Thomas Hoffeditz, social studies teacher Charles Trout and art teacher Julie Elver at his career’s end. Currently, two staff members, English department chair DeeAnn Andershock and ILC secretary Kathleen Stewart, were students during Blecke’s time as a Sequoit.

Trout was a co-worker of Blecke’s from 1986 to 1991. According to Trout, Blecke expected his teachers to do their job to the best of their ability.

“When you did [your job] he gave you all the respect in the world,” Trout said. “He  would support you 100 percent.”

Blecke gave the teachers at ACHS the feeling that they were part of a family.

“When you worked for Mr. Blecke, you were someone that was on his team,” Trout said. “He would definitely go to bat for you because you were one of his.”

Blecke not only gave the teachers a family-feeling, but he also shared that feeling with the students and community as well.

“What Antioch was and still is, is a family,” Stewart, a 1977 alumna, said. “I think he gave us a real sense of community, and that comes from the top down.”

Not all teachers at ACHS would look at Blecke in the same way as English teacher Kelly Taylor, however. Taylor is the granddaughter of Blecke, and to Taylor he was always a warm, loving and  hilarious grandfather.

“When I think about him, he was always picking me up and throwing me in the air as soon as I saw him,” Taylor said.

While Taylor was growing up, she and Blecke would watch movies, play board games and do anything that involved the outdoors together.

Later, she learned what his reputation was like around the school.

“He was known for being tough,” Taylor said. “If you ever got a note from my grandfather that said ‘see me’ as a teacher or faculty member, it was one of those moments of minor terror.”

As a student, Stewart knew first-hand that Blecke was an authority figure.

“I think the students at the time were scared to death of him,” Stewart said. “He looked imposing, and you did not mess around.”

Stewart went on to say that he was intimidating, but he was also very fair with students. Trout explained that Blecke’s tough, authoritative figure came from his World War II experience. He, along with the five other veterans on staff at the time, had an attitude of going in, getting business done and moving forward.

Blecke also pushed his teachers to take on the role of being an authority figure.

“Here’s something he told me,” Trout said. “‘You’re an authority. You’re there to present and teach the kids. You’re not here to be their friend. You’re here to teach them, support them and encourage them in their development.’”

Blecke would love and support the students at all times, but when they misbehaved, they had to face the consequences.

“Blecke’s belief was ‘this is the expectation. Meet the expectation,”’ Trout said. “He held that on the kids and he held that on the staff.”

Back when Blecke was a dean, school systems had more rights over students.

“He was able to rough kids up,” Taylor said. “I’ve heard stories about him shoving kids up against lockers that were misbehaving.”

Even though Blecke was tough at times, Stewart said that she could see he was a caring individual who loved the students at Antioch. She said she believes that Blecke should be recognized in some way for the work he put into the school.

“He was dedicated to the school, and he was dedicated to the students,” Stewart said. “You don’t stay some place you’re not fully dedicated to.”

Trout explained that years after Blecke retired, he would stop at the school occasionally to say “hi” to remaining staff that he had worked with at ACHS.

A memory that Taylor shared of her grandfather was his love for his wife.

“He always spoke so highly of my grandmother,” Taylor said.  “Which was really cool and a great role model as a young girl. He spoke about not only how much he loved her, but how classy she was.”

As Taylor grew up, she never got to view Blecke as principal Blecke. Instead, she viewed him in one way.

“I just knew him as grandpa,” she said.