By KELLY WILSON

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

HAMILTON, Ill. -- An elementary physical education teacher and former high school coach for the Hamilton Community Consolidated School District died Friday afternoon in a rollover accident on Ill. 96.

Robert A. Califf, 47, of Hamilton was killed and his 5-year-old son, Brock Califf, was taken to Blessing Hospital in Quincy in serious condition.

"It's just a tragic loss for us," said Dave Dion, Hamilton's athletic director who knew Califf well. "Bobby was a very good teacher, a very good faculty member and friend.

"It's going to be a rough time," he said. "The kids are going to have a difficult time."

According to a report from Illinois State Police District 14 in Macomb, Califf was driving a 1993 Jeep Wrangler east on Ill. 96 at 4:09 p.m. when the vehicle lost control and overturned, rolling multiple times.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Ill. 96 and Sutter Road. Both Califf and his son were wearing their seat belts, the report said.

The exact cause of the crash is unknown, but the State Police does not suspect that alcohol or drugs was a factor, according to the police report.

The Hamilton Fire Department and Hancock County Sheriff's Department assisted the State Police. An investigation is ongoing.

Dion said that Califf graduated from Hamilton High School in 1979, where he excelled in athletics. He played football, basketball and baseball and ran on the track team. Dion said that Califf played football at Culver-Stockton College, where he was a kick return specialist, and graduated from Western Illinois University.

"He was a very good athlete," Dion said.

Dion said Califf worked for a time in health clubs in Chicago, but in the fall 1993 started to work as the physical education teacher at Hamilton Elementary, where he remained until his death.

He also helped coach varsity football and was the high school baseball coach for about a decade.

For four of those years, Califf was assistant football coach while Dion was head coach.

"We were very happy to have him," Dion said. "He was a wonderful assistant, very organized. He did a lot of the more detail things. He and I were a good team. We spent a lot of Sundays breaking down film and doing scouting reports.

"He coached baseball for a number of years. He worked very hard at it," Dion said. "He was very good with the kids. He was demanding, but treated the kids very fairly. He had a good rapport with the kids."

Dion said Califf was loved by his elementary students.

"He was so great with them," he said." He would encourage them and make them behave. He did a wonderful job."

-- kwilson@whig.com/221-3391