Robert Bagley, born on June 17, 1954, in Wolverhampton, England, passed away on November 18, 2025, in Northampton, Massachusetts. He was 71 years old.
Robert spent time after grammar school going to the ATC, an air training corps, to be a pilot in the RAF, before he dedicated much of his life to education and mentorship. After time at Lakewood Prep, the Hun School, and Pennington School, he spent three decades at Williston Northampton School, where he built a lasting legacy through the countless students whose lives he touched. His commitment to teaching and his enduring presence in the classroom left an indelible mark on the school community.
Beyond his professional life, Robert was known for his intelligence and quick wit. He had a gift for storytelling and a well-timed joke, always ready to share a laugh or a thoughtful insight. Those who knew him appreciated not only his knowledge but also the warmth and humor with which he shared it. Robert found great joy in the outdoors. Whether working in his woodworking shop, casting a line while fishing, or simply enjoying nature as an avid outdoorsman and educator, he embraced the world around him with curiosity and appreciation.
He leaves behind a loving family: his daughter Robin ’96; his son James ’03 and James’s wife Amy; and their two children, Victoria and Robert. He is also remembered by his sister Karen and her husband Stephen, along with many nieces and their families. Robert was predeceased by his beloved wife Susan who passed away in 2016.
A celebration of life will be held on a later date to celebrate his 72nd birthday. May Robert Bagley’s memory bring comfort to those who knew him and continue to inspire all who were fortunate enough to be part of his life.
Two moments that I still remember about Mr. Bagley.
One of the first days of geometry, Mr. Bagley tells us he was in the British special forces and could teach us how to disarm someone. He calls a student to the front of the class and has the 9th grader hold a marker as if it’s a weapon. Mr. Bagley then chops at the student’s arm with each of his arms (one on either side of the student’s arm) resulting in the student dropping the marker/weapon. We all cheered. The student was physically okay 🙂
Mr. Bagley could do the entire plate stack in the gym as a tricep pulldown. One day he had a student stand on the stack while he performed the tricep pulldown with all the available weight and the student. I’m still working on that level of tricep strength.
I had Mr. Bagley for Geometry Honors my freshman year and as my Track and Field coach, and to say he was one of the most impactful people in my life at Willy is an understatement. From our shared love of the Steelers to our conversations about how he kept his mustache in such pristine condition, these memories will stay with me forever. His insights on life were tremendous, and his stories were even better. He was truly invaluable to the Williston experience, and for that I will forever be grateful to the great Mr. Bagley.
Love you, Sir Bagley. May you rest in heavenly peace.
I never got to have Mr. Bagley in class, but I spent my spring afternoons with him throwing javelin. He was the rare educator that just made things fun in his own unique way. He became something of a legend with the boys in my graduating class, the same way there were memes at the time about all the outlandish accomplishments of Chuck Norris.
“Did you hear that Mr. Bagley drove himself to the hospital during a heart attack?”
“Did you know Mr. Bagley drove a stick shift to the hospital when he broke his ankle?”
“Did you know Mr. Bagley was in the SAS?”
He was renowned for acting as a target downfield of our javelin practice, and calmly side stepping just before a throw could reach him. We had tons of fun riling him up by talking about how heroic William Wallace was, whom Mr. Bagley felt strongly was a coward and a traitor.
I’m grateful having had such a strong and fun personality for a coach. And for these really minor but fun and happy moments. It’s a special person that can leave such a strong impression with such a light touch.
My condolences to the many people Mr. Bagley is leaving behind.
God Bless Mr. Bagley. I was class of 89, I don’t think I would have graduated without him. He was one of the best teachers and coaches I had. He understood the trials and tribulations of life in a rigorous boarding school and the stress and risks we all took to get by as teenagers. He would never flunk one of his soccer players. RIP …He will be missed.
I met Mr. Bagley in the fall of 2008 when I started my freshman year. I can still hear his distinctive voice “angle, side, side doesn’t give you a full and unique definition of a triangle.” I think that line stuck with me because of the acronym he used as the mnemonic device. Those lessons are the foundation upon which I built the rest of my education and subsequently my career.
Thank you for your patience, humor, and mentorship Mr. Bagley, you will be missed.
Mr. Bagley was one of my favorite parts of Williston circa 2005. I was an artist and not interested or talented in math. He taught “Practical Applications of Math” (rather than pre-calculus or whatever everyone else was doing) to my friends and I in order to get the math credits we needed. Not only was it a memorable and truly fun class that I looked forward to, I actually still use some of the skills today. We loved Mr. Bagley so much I painted a portrait of him, which graced the cover of Janus. I still have it, and will send to the family.