R. I. P Leonard J. "Bunky" Collamore, Creator of "As Schools Match Wits"

Leonard J. "Bunky" Collamore has died at age 76. He was born in Holyoke on March 18, 1931.

He became chief of staff to Mayor Charles V. Ryan from 1961-67 in his first administration. Collamore, a lifelong Democrat, also served on the Springfield City Council for 12 years and was president and acting mayor in 1970 and served 18 years as a Hampden County commissioner and numerous years as chairman.

Leonard also wrote a book in 1978 called "The Quiz Game." He was a founding professor at Springfield Technical Community College for over 30 years teaching European history and Western civilization. He retired from S.T.C.C. with the title of professor emeritus and then served many years as an adjunct professor.

Leonard was the president of S.T.C.C. from 1981-83. He was the founding member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Peach Basket Festival Tip-Off Classic and was the creator, producer and judge of the award-winning high school quiz show "As Schools Match Wits" on Channel 22, which was the longest-running quiz show program in the history of television. Leonard was also the head writer for the show for over 25 years. He was known as a history expert on Christopher Columbus discoveries around the world.

Excerpted from the Hampshire Gazette, February 4, 2008.

Anyone with the nickname, "Bunky," is cool with me.