TEMPLE – A man known to many area children as “Tall Pines” died Feb. 26 at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington.

An interesting and intelligent man, Robert Bull, 76, of Temple, had spent many days educating children about Native Americans and loved to listen to people talk about things, said his son, Stephen Bull, on Monday.

While attending Deep Springs College in California, Bull developed an appreciation of Native American culture, Steve said.

“He respected the Native American culture and wanted to share it,” Steve said. He collected artifacts and was going into schools “when I was in second grade,” he added.

“Children would sit in a circle for an hour and not move. They were so interested in his collection of artifacts; some were 500 years old,” said Carmen Morey, a kindergarten teacher at Cushing School in Wilton. For years, Bull would spend most of a day with the kindergarten classes as part of their Native American Indian unit.

Bull’s presentation last fall was recorded and now the school is fortunate to have it, she said.

Many youngsters also came to know Bull through his work for the Maine Safe Kids Coalition, his son said. After Bull’s youngest son, Rob, was severely burned at age 18 months and spent time at the Shrine Hospital in Boston, Bull became interested in burn prevention and the Maine chapter of the Safe Kids Coalition. Securing bicycle helmets for children also became a cause as tractor-trailers loaded with thousands of helmets would find their way to his Temple home, Steve said. Each one was measured, fitted and sold at cost to children in Maine.

Hospitalized last week with back pain, Bull was doing pretty well and talking about how happy and proud he was of his latest project, collecting and sending seeds to African villages, Steve said.

For the past couple years, Bull has been sending heirloom seeds to Africa where home and communal gardens are being developed, said the Rev. Scott Planting of Fairbanks Union Church. Planting was in Africa recently for a big celebration where people exhibited their produce.

“I thought how cool that this guy in Temple, Maine, provided the seeds for this produce,” Planting said. “He was a really good guy who was devoted to feeding people.”

Bull was gratified to know his efforts were making a difference, Steve said.

It is believed Bull suffered an aneurysm and died instantly, Steve said. He had a history of aneurysms that had been found early and repaired.

Bull did consultant work in areas of food marketing and distribution, Steve said. Starting in the 1960s, Bull worked with many countries such as Turkey, Greece and the former Soviet Union setting up food distribution centers and working with farm cooperatives, Steve said.

He also provided management training for companies and seminars about time management and setting priorities.

After starting his own consultant business, he realized his clients were scattered and he could live anywhere he wanted as long as he could get to an airport.

Steve’s grandfather had bought a camp in Chesterville and Bull loved to visit the area. He found property in Temple and built a camp, then later a home, Steve said.

Now, he and his siblings are receiving condolences from people all around the world, Steve said, and are astounded by the phone calls and the lives touched by his father.

“He thought about everyone and always wanted to help everybody. He was always one to say ‘I love you.’ He really was a super human being,” said daughter-in-law Leslie Bull.