C Faculty and staff obits
taylo...@comcast.net
Monterey County Herald, CA Feb 17, 2006
Richard Hartwell Chamberlin. May 5, 1933 ~ February 9, 2006. Richard H.
Chamberlin, age 72, died February 9 as the result of an automobile
accident. A native of Los Angeles, he was born May 5, 1933. A US Army
veteran, Richard received his BA Degree from UC Santa Barbara and,
moving to Pacific Grove, began his teaching career, which spanned 48
years at Pacific Grove High School. Richard was a teacher, coach and
mentor to his students and fellow staff members. He was the most
recognized and honored coach in Pacific Grove High School history and
was a leader statewide in Cross Country and Track as well as Wrestling.
He coached ten League Championship teams, two Central Coast Section
Champions and was named a Central Coast Section Honor Coach for Cross
Country. Richard was voted as one of the top twenty-five coaches in
Monterey County for the past 100 years. Over the course of his career,
Richard touched the lives of thousands of students and his love for
athletics and his commitment to his students was unmatched. He is
fondly remembered not only for the caliber of his coaching but also for
the season-ending parties he hosted at his home. Team members were
invited to make a montage of the season pictures and bake chocolate
chip cookies. Richard complained of the "mess those kids make of my
kitchen", but he always said this with a smile reflecting his pride
in his students. Richard is survived by his brother, Ronald, and his
wife, Katy, of Grants Pass, OR, two nephews and one niece. A
Celebration of Richard's Life will take place at Breakers Stadium at
Pacific Grove High School on Saturday, February 25 at 1:00. A
scholarship fund has been established by several of Richard's former
student/athletes. This scholarship will be awarded annually to an
outstanding Pacific Grove High School senior. Memorials may be sent to:
Richard Chamberlin Memorial Scholarship, PG PRIDE, PO Box 419, Pacific
Grove, 93950. Following cremation under the direction of The Paul
Mortuary, inurnment will be at El Carmelo Cemetery in Pacific Grove.
Monterey County Herald, CA Feb 11, 2006
Coach dies after being hit by car
Was on way home from wrestling tourney
By CLARISSA ALJENTERA and JOHN DEVINE / Herald Staff Writers
Richard Chamberlin, a longtime track and field coach at Pacific Grove
High School, crossed Sunset Drive thousands of times during the past 48
years. It was a quick walk to his home, across the street from the
school where he taught science for nearly 35 years. Chamberlin, 72, was
killed late Thursday while taking the familiar path home. Chamberlin
was walking home after attending the Mission Trail Athletic League
wrestling championships at Pacific Grove, an event he had coordinated,
when he was hit by a car. Though he had retired as a teacher 12 years
ago, Chamberlin was still wearing a path between his home and the high
school, still coaching and directing other athletic events. "He
probably made the walk 50 times a week," Pacific Grove Athletic
Director Todd Buller said. "We're all in shock. He touched a lot of
people." Grief counselors were on hand Friday for students and
teachers. "Some kids went home," Buller said. "He had 40 kids on his
cross country team this past fall. I think it's taken a while to sink
in. But we're starting to feel the impact." Chamberlin was slated to
begin his 49th season as a track coach at Pacific Grove on Monday as an
assistant to Tom Light. It is uncertain when practice will start.
Officers said Roger Holiday, the 74-year-old driver of the car that hit
Chamberlin, apparently did not see Chamberlin in the crosswalk. Holiday
was headed west on Sunset Drive, which is a part of Holman Highway. A
driver behind Holiday said he saw someone in the crosswalk. But it was
too late to stop, Pacific Grove Cmdr. Tom Uretsky said. Friday morning,
Chamberlin's front porch light was still on and a rolled newspaper was
sitting in his driveway. Neighbors on Sunset Drive were shocked when
they heard about the accident. Moe Ammar, who has lived next door to
Chamberlin for seven years, heard tires screeching from inside his
home. When he and his wife, Trina, ran outside, they found Chamberlin
unconscious. A neighbor gave Chamberlin a blanket and clutched his hand
while he lay in the street. "(Chamberlin) should have died a peaceful
death in his bed," Trina Ammar said. She said Chamberlin sent her
flowers when she and her husband celebrated their 25th wedding
anniversary last year. When asked, Chamberlin told Ammar to "expect to
get one bouquet each month for a year because it's quite a task being
married for 25 years." Despite retiring as a teacher 12 years ago,
Chamberlin remained the head cross country coach and was an assistant
in track, where he continued as meet director of the annual Pacific
Grove Rotary Invitational. "It broke my heart when I heard about it,"
Carmel track coach John Ables said. "He was old school and I like old
school. He was about sacrifice and giving. I already miss him." Pacific
Grove canceled all sporting events and a school play Friday in memory
of Chamberlin. "That guy was an institution," said Mike Ramirez, former
track and cross country coach at Gonzales High. "When you think of
track and field and how to do things right, you think of Richard
Chamberlin. It's put a damper on this season. It's puts things in
perspective." Chamberlin had the distinction of coaching a Central
Coast Section champion boys cross country team in 1974, when there were
no divisions. He also coached long jumper Johnny Johnson, who holds the
Monterey County record with a leap of 25 feet, 2 inches in 1964. Last
year, the Mission Trail Athletic League changed its annual League
Relays meet to the Richard Chamberlin Invitational. Chamberlin made up
the league schedules for all sports in the Mission Trail, Monterey Bay
and Tri-County Athletic leagues. "He's irreplaceable," Ken Kline, King
City's athletic director, said. "He's the heart and soul of high school
sports. He kept the train running on time. He never said a negative
thing about anyone." During school Friday, a student and runner of
Chamberlin's brought in a biography that he had written about his coach
for people to read and reminisce. "He is the most sufficient person
we've had at this school in the last 50 years," Buller said. "I'm
trying to remember all the positives. Because there are so many."
Services are pending.
Monterey County Herald, CA Feb 26, 2006
FAREWELL, MR. CHAMBERLIN
Pacific Grove: Hundreds turn out to remember fallen teacher
By ANDRE BRISCOE / Herald Staff Writer
Longtime friends, former students and colleagues of Richard Chamberlin
packed the bleachers at Pacific Grove High School's Breakers Stadium on
Saturday to honor the man who was a fixture in Pacific Grove and
Central California high school sports for nearly 50 years. Of the more
than 1,000 people attending, at least a dozen waited in line to share
personal stories of Chamberlin, 72, who was struck and killed by a car
as he crossed a street near the high school earlier this month.
Chamberlin's portrait hung on a stand just below a makeshift stage
erected on the track field, where Pacific Grove Athletic Director Todd
Buller opened the ceremony. On a stand just to Buller's right hung
Chamberlin's ever-present green felt fedora hat. Some called him
Richard, some referred to him as Mr. Chamberlin, still others Mr. C.
But they agreed on Chamberlin's best qualities: he was someone who paid
close attention to his students, he had high standards, and expected
the best in the classroom and on the playing field. "He was one of the
most wonderful human beings I've ever met," said John Ables, Carmel
High School's track and field coach and a longtime friend of
Chamberlin's. "He exemplified what I teach: sacrifice and giving. "He
was always there for everybody... not just kids, but for adults and
coaches," Ables said. "You could always count on Richard to help you.
Like I've told all the coaches at the MTAL (Mission Trail Athletic
League), we have got to stick together and get better because he is
going to be watching. "Community contribution| The night of the
accident, Buller said, he was visiting Chamberlin and five former P.G.
wrestlers in the school's gymnasium. Buller told the crowd how
Chamberlin enjoyed the relationships he had built with former student
athletes. "The look on his face, the joy he had in talking with these
men, who were once boys who he taught wrestling, the great laugh he
had, and the way about him... it will be the memory about him that I
will have always." Pacific Grove Mayor Jim Costello read a proclamation
recognizing Chamberlin's lifelong commitment to excellence in education
and athletics. Costello presented it to Chamberlin's brother Ronald. A
surprise moment during the ceremony came when a $10,000 check was given
to the school's athletic program by Hugo Ferlito, board chairman of the
Big Sur International Marathon, in part for Chamberlin's volunteer
efforts during past marathons. Ferlito said part of the marathon's
mission is to contribute to the betterment of the community.
Chamberlin, he said, embodied that spirit. "This man really did live up
to that (idea) of contributing to the health and welfare (of the
community), especially our youth," he said. Respect and admiration|
Chamberlin's influence continued years after retiring from teaching at
Pacific Grove High, said Tim Minor, who graduated in 1976. "As I grew
older he insisted that I call him Richard, but to me he is, and always
will be, Mr. Chamberlin. He always commanded that kind of respect,"
said Minor. "So, out of deep respect and admiration, I'm wearing my tie
and letter sweater this afternoon just as I used to when Mr. Chamberlin
required it of us on the days of our track meets and cross country
meets. But today I'm wearing it to honor a loving and caring man who
inspired me and had a huge influence on my life as a coach, a teacher
and a friend." Peyton McElyea, who was on the track team and graduated
in 2001, talked about how some parents would ride with Chamberlin when
attending out-of-town meets, and how he would set the cruise control to
exactly 64½ mph, making clear to the parents that he would not drive
any faster. "The funny thing was, he never went any slower either,"
said McElyea, in one of the service's lighter moments. "Down through
every curve and every back road he could find, he did the same
64½."McElyea said students always found this funny, but not their
parents. "But they always smiled and laughed about it by the end of the
day," McElyea said. "The man was simply an institution to P.G. High,
and how we are going to replace him, I simply don't know." Chamberlin
was born May 5, 1933, in Los Angeles. He was Pacific Grove's track and
field coach for 48 years. He was killed Feb. 9 while walking home after
attending the league wrestling championships at the high school by a
74-year-old driver who did not see him in a crosswalk. Championship
team| Chamberlin was set to begin his 49th season as a track coach at
Pacific Grove. He retired from teaching science 12 years ago after
nearly 35 years, but remained the school's head cross country coach,
and an assistant track coach. He continued as director of the annual
Pacific Grove Rotary Invitational track and field event. Chamberlin had
the distinction of coaching a Central Coast Section champion boys cross
country team in 1974, when there were no divisions. Last year, the
Mission Trail League changed its annual League Relays meet to the
Richard Chamberlin Invitational. Chamberlin made up the league
schedules for all sports in the Mission Trail, Monterey Bay and
Tri-County Athletic leagues. Chamberlin has been acknowledged as one of
the top 25 coaches in Monterey County for the Past 100 years. "His
contributions went beyond the kids and the track. He was a human
being," said Moe Ammar, who lived next door to Chamberlin for seven
years. Ammar and his wife, Trina, ran outside when they heard tires
screeching the night Chamberlin was hit and found him unconscious. "Any
time I asked him for anything that Pacific Grove needed, any cause, he
always pulled his checkbook and wrote a big check," Ammar said. "Mr.
Chamberlin, as your neighbor, as your friend, I will miss you."
Chamberlin is survived by his brother Ronald, Ronald's wife, Katy, two
nephews and one niece. A scholarship fund has been created by several
of Chamberlin's former students and will be awarded annually to a
deserving Pacific Grove High School senior.
FACULTY John Robert Clarke (60)
Monterey Peninsula Herald, CA Nov. 1990
John Robert Clarke of Pebble Beach, a retired Naval officer and Pacific
Grove High School social studies teacher, died of respiratory failure
Sunday at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula. He was 60. Mr.
Clarke was born April 15, 1930, in Palo Alto. He retired as a commander
in the U.S. Navy in 1968 after 20 years of service. He taught at
Pacific Grove High from 1970 until 1985. He was a graduate of Sequoia
High School in Redwood City. He received a bachelor's degree in
political science from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1967 and
received a teaching credential from the Monterey Institute of Foreign
Studies in 1970. He was the music director of the NPS Catholic
Chapel's Saturday evening masses for many years. He was also a member
of St. Angela's Catholic Church and the Monterey Bridge Club.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Ann; two sons, Joseph of Phoenix,
Ariz., and Christopher of North Hollywood; three daughters, Jennifer
Beymer of Ferndale, Wash., Kirsten Clarke of Santa Cruz and Kathryn
Flemate of North Hollywood; two brothers, William T. of Redwood City
and James of Menlo Park; a sister, Phyllis Clarke-Bradbury of Raleigh,
N.C.; his father, William C. of Santa Rosa; and five grandchildren. A
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday at 2 p.m. at St.
Angela's Catholic Church, with burials following at El Carmelo
Cemetery in Pacific Grove. The Paul Mortuary is in charge of
arrangements. The family suggests that any memorial contributions go to
the Visiting nurses Association, P.O Box 2480, Monterey 93942 or to the
American Lung Association, 148 Central Ave., Salinas 93901.
FACULTY Harold L. Colwell (88)
Spokesman Review, WA Mar 15, 2005
St. Maries - Graveside service for Harold L. Colwell, 88, will be
Saturday at 2 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery in St. Maries. Hodge Funeral
Home in St. Maries is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Colwell, who was
born in Fruitland, Idaho, died Saturday. He moved to Kuna, Idaho, with
his family in 1928, and they spent their summers in McCall, Idaho. They
moved to Oakland, Calif., and he graduated from Castlemont High School
there. Mr. Colwell graduated from the University of California in
Berkeley in 1938 and began teaching school in Yuba City, Calif.. He
married Cora Kelley in 1941. During World War II Mr. Colwell served as
a German linguist and radioman with the Army's 13th Armored "Black Cat"
Division, 498th Armored Field Artillery Battalion. After his military
service he taught high school math, German and Spanish for 32 years and
also was a high school tennis coach and coached golf at the Pebble
Beach Golf Course. He had received the Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation
Medal. Mr. Colwell enjoyed traveling and took many trips around the
nation, Canada and Mexico, Europe, Africa, Asia and Russia. Survivors
include his wife, Cora; two daughters, Sylvia Rogers of St. Maries and
Virginia Eckerman of Bothell, Wash.; two brothers, Bob Colwell of
Walnut Creek, Calif., and Delbert Colwell of Boise; a sister, Arlene
Tallman of Turlock, Calif.; four grandsons and one great-granddaughter.
Knockout II, Pacific Grove, CA Nov. 2005
March 2005 Harold L Colwell . . . . . . . . . . . Faculty St. Maries ID
Harold L. Colwell, 88, former teacher at PGHS, died March 12, 2005, in
St. Maries, Idaho. In 1938 he graduated from UC Berkeley. He was vice
principal 1953-1961 and taught math, German and Spanish 1946-1977. He
had received the Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation Medal. Survivors
include his wife Cora; two daughters, Sylvia Colwell Rogers '67 of
St. Maries and Virginia Colwell Eckerman '62 of Bothell, WA; two
brothers, Bob Colwell of Walnut Creek, and Delbert Colwell of Boise,
ID; and a sister, Arlene Tallman of Turlock.
STAFF Charlotte Ann Corbet (84)
Monterey Peninsula Herald, CA Feb 23, 1999
Pacific Grove - Charlotte Anne Corbet of Pacific Grove died Friday at
the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She was 84. Born
April 27, 1914, in Illinois, she had lived in Pacific Grove for 31
years. Mrs. Corbet worked as a homemaker. She was also a registrar at
Pacific Grove High School from 1974 to 1981. She was a member of the
Monterey Civic Club, the auxiliary of Community Hospital of the
Monterey Peninsula, Monterey Peninsula Country Club, the Beach and
Tennis Club, First Presbyterian Church of Monterey, and the Monterey
Peninsula Chorale society. She was recognized by the American Red Cross
for donating 15 gallons of blood and 14 platelet pheresis. She is
survived by her husband of 19 years, James; a son, Kenneth Bush of
Washington; two daughters, Joanne Crary of San Jose and Candace Hodson
of Thousand Oaks; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. A
private memorial service will be held Saturday. The family suggests
that any memorial contributions be sent to the Monterey Civic Club.
ADAM Delbert David Cram (80)
Monterey County Herald, CA June 2000
Delbert David Cram, a retired teacher, died Saturday at Carmel
Convalescent Hospital. He was 80. Born July 25, 1919, in Elk Creek
Township, N.D., he had lived in Pacific Grove since 1951. Mr. Cram
served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He earned a
bachelor's degree from Utah State, then worked as a botany teacher
and guidance counselor at Pacific Grove High School until his
retirement in 1983. He had a passion for photography and served as
adviser to the photography club at the school and as official
photographer for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Mr. Cram was an
award-wining woodcarver and also taught a woodcarving course at Pacific
Grove Adult School he was a fixture at the carving booth at the
Monterey County Fair and was the creator of the Breaker Stadium sign at
the high school's football stadium. A restorer of antique golf clubs,
he founded the Wooden Shafted Golf Tournament, an annual part of
Pacific Grove's Good Old Days Celebration. He is survived by a son,
Laurence Cram of Pleasanton, one niece and one nephew. His wife of 50
years, Thelma, died earlier this year. At his request, no services will
be held. The family suggests that any memorial contributions be sent to
the Hospice of the Central Coast, P.O. Box 2750, Monterey 93942.
ADMIN Rudd Adams Crawford (86)
Monterey County Herald, CA Dec 1994
Environmental activist Rudd Crawford dies
Rudd Adams Crawford, 86, of Carmel Valley, a retired principal of
Pacific Grove Junior High School and a dedicated environmental
activist, died in his sleep Thursday at his home. Born Feb. 18, 1908,
in Chongqing, China, the son of a teacher, he lived in China until he
was 11, then moved with his family to Pasadena. He had lived on the
Monterey Peninsula for more than 40 years, the last four at Hacienda
Carmel in Carmel Valley. Mr. Crawford earned a bachelor's degree at
Occidental College in 1930 and a master's degree at Columbia
University in 1936. He began his career as a principal at a New Jersey
junior high school, moving in 1953 to Pacific Grove, where he combined
three schools with low attendance into one, now known as Pacific Grove
Middle School. He retired in 1972. In 1979, Mr. Crawford was honored
with the Sierra Club's highest national award for his leadership in
the establishment of the Ventana Wilderness in Los Padres National
Forest in 1969 and for working to enlarge the wilderness area in 1977.
He was also cited in that award for his contributions to the Ventana
chapter of the Sierra Club's year-round weekend outings, program and
for his work in bringing a Santa Cruz group of 1,000 members into the
chapter. His longtime friend Vern Yadon, retired director of the
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History and a Pacific Grove city
councilman, said Mr. Crawford led hundreds of field trips for the
Sierra Club in the Ventana Wilderness and the Sierra Nevada and also
led conservation trips through the Del Monte Forest. "As far as I was
concerned," Yadon said, "he always set a tenor. He was enthusiastic
and that enthusiasm couldn't help but rub off on whoever went with
him." He called Mr. Crawford "one of the better conservationists
who never had a political motive. And he was always the same person. He
never changed his spots." Roy Anderson of Carmel, who served with Mr.
Crawford in the Ventana chapter of the Sierra Club, called him "an
inspiring leader" in both Sierra Club administrative affairs as well
as in outdoor activities. "I had the good fortune to go on many
outings with him - hikes, backpack trips, both locally and in the
Sierra Nevada - and he was a great companion on the trail,"
Anderson said. Mr. Crawford also was active in the campaign for the
creation of Jacks Peak Park, the Yosemite Master Plan and the
California Coastal Plan. He served as a member of the Monterey
Peninsula Regional Park District board for 10 years. He served two
terms as chairman of the Ventana chapter of the Sierra Club, as well as
two terms on the chapter's executive committee, and served on the
Open Space Advisory Committee for the Pebble Beach Foundation. He was
also a member of the Pacific Grove Rotary Club and the Church of the
Wayfarer. He is survived by his wife, Mary; two sons, Rudd Jr. of
Oberlin, Ohio, and Paul of Port Angeles, Wash.; a brother, Paul of
Santa Barbara; and a sister, Jean Haugen of Oslo, Norway; and four
grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the
Church of the Wayferer. The Paul Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
The family suggests that any memorial contributions be sent to the
college scholarship fund at the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel.
Knockout II April 1995
Rudd Adams Crawford, 86, (Faculty) d Dec 1994 in Carmel Valley, CA was
born in Chongoing, China and came to the states when he was 11. Moving
to Pacific Grove in 1953 he was a former principal of PGHS and late
combined three low attendance schools into the Pacific Grove Middle
School. Retiring in 1972, he stayed active in environmental issues. In
1979 the Sierra Club awarded hi wit its highest award for leadership.
Mr. Crawford led thousands on field trips in Del Monte Forest, the
Ventana Wilderness and the Sierra Nevada. A quiet cheerful person,
former students will recall his friendly smile.
ADMIN Don Curley (69)
Monterey County Herald, CA Sept 2002
Thirty-year resident of the Monterey Peninsula, Don Curley, passed away
last week. He had fought a brief but valiant battle against cancer, and
his death has saddened many, many hearts. He was 69 years old. Curley
was born in Minnesota in 1932 and came with his family to California
during the early years of World War II. He was a three-sport athlete at
San Leandro High School, where he met his future bride, Claire Hansen,.
The two married a few years later, and began raising their family. The
professional life of Don Curley was one devoted to the education and
well being of children. Initially a high school English teacher and PE
coach at Sunset High School in Hayward, Curley was also a successful
coach of the football and baseball teams. He later moved into school
administration, eventually becoming principal at Pacific Grove High
School in 1972. After twelve years of leadership there, he moved on to
the District Office, where he was assistant superintendent of schools.
After Curley retired in 1992, he began to travel to many parts of the
world, and to see his grandchildren more often, and he also began to
play golf much more often. His golfing buddies witnessed, just this
last March, Curley fire a Hole-in-One at Pacific Grove Municipal. He
also greatly enjoyed volunteering his coaching expertise on the field
and with the baseball players at Pacific Grove High, most recently as
last May. Other passions included gardening, reading, and telling
jokes. The "ship and its sailors" took him away on Thursday, August
29, 2002 while his wife of 49 years, Claire, and daughter Louisa, sat
with him in his bedroom. Curley is survived by Claire and Louisa
Curley; son Tim and his family, wife Judee and children Molly, Aaron,
Ben and Jack, of Sonoma, California; and son Brian and his wife Betsy
and their children Dylan and Cooper, of Scottsdale, Arizona. The public
is encouraged to attend a Celebration of the Life of Don Curley, which
will be held this Saturday, September 7, at 1:30 p.m. in the gymnasium
at Pacific Grove High School. Please designate any offerings to the Don
Curley Foundation, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, 1160 Forest Ave., Pacific
Grove, CA 93950. This fund will benefit the Pacific Grove High School
Baseball Program, something very dear to Curley. The Paul Mortuary is
in charge of arrangements.
Monterey County Herald, Sept. 2, 2002
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mcherald/3987459.htm
PACIFIC GROVE By MARC CARIG
On the walls of Don Curley's garage are yellowing newspaper clippings,
baseball pictures and trinkets collected during his 40-year career as
an educator and baseball coach at Pacific Grove High School.
Hand-scrawled on a card from one of Curley's many teams is a message
from one of his players: "Thank you for helping me when I wasn't
hitting good and supporting me when I was. You gave me lots of
confidence." Curley, a man who many say touched thousands of lives as
their mentor and friend, died of cancer Thursday at his Pebble Beach
home. He was 69. Curley served as principal at Pacific Grove High from
1972Ð1982, and then was selected as assistant superintendent of the
Pacific Grove Unified School District. He retired in 1992. He served as
a volunteer assistant baseball coach during most of his time at the
high school, and continued to coach after retiring as an administrator.
He was even on the bench for last spring's championship season. Mike
Ottmar worked with Curley for more than 15 years when both worked at
Pacific Grove High. "It was amazing to see how many of the kids he
worked with at the high school stop by and say hello," said Ottmar,
Monterey County's business superintendent of schools. "It was clear
that his influence and the way he touched the kids went well beyond the
typical principal role." Curley often went out of his way to keep track
of students, sometimes calling their homes to make sure they were
handling the academic load, Ottmar said. "Don was a true supporter of
kids. He loved kids and really went out of his way to work with kids
who might not always be the most successful in school," he said. "I
know that even when he was retired, a number of times he developed
relations with kids having difficulties. He went out of his way to make
them feel special." "It just amazed people, how he could remember all
their names," said Claire Curley, his wife of 49 years. "He felt all
kids deserve a second chance." He is also survived by his three
children, Brian, Tim and Louisa; and six grandchildren. Curley met his
future wife when he was a three-sport athlete at San Leandro High
School. Voted by their classmates as the school's "cutest couple," they
married just before Curley was drafted by the U.S. Army to fight in
Korea. Curley started his career at high schools in the Hayward Unified
School District. It was during his days as a baseball coach at
Hayward's Sunset High School that Curley came across Bud Harrelson, a
thin, lanky sophomore with big-league dreams. "He was guy who had a lot
of faith in me," Harrelson said Sunday. "I was a little player and he
made me better, I know that. He was one of the reasons I probably got
noticed." Harrelson grew into a gold-glove winning shortstop and a key
part of the 1969 New York Mets team that won the World Series. "He's
got a way of getting people to perform better," Harrelson said. "He
subtly encouraged and built confidence. He'll be sorely missed." Even
after Harrelson finished his 13-year Major League career, he didn't
forget his coach and mentor. When he was hired as the manager of the
Mets during the 1990 season , Harrelson invited Curley to spend the
following spring training with him and the team. "I certainly will
never forget it," Harrelson said. He gave Curley his own locker and
uniform during the camp, and even let him coach first base during two
exhibition games. "He was so proud. I was a by-product of his efforts
as a coach and mentor. He was enjoying the fruits of his efforts."
Curley once said the time he spent in spring training rivaled only his
marriage and the birth of his three children as the most exciting time
of his life. Even long after his time as a head coach in Hayward,
Curley never lost the bug, making time to be a volunteer coach while he
was an administrator. "He could talk to any player," said Jeff Gray,
Pacific Grove High's head baseball coach. "He could see a kid's
personality and adjust, whether they were a hot dog or needed
motivating. He knew how to reach each kid's key points." "He made you
want to learn," said Curley's granddaughter, Molly. "He made it so it
wasn't a chore. You enjoyed getting to the top with him - together."
When Curley worked with students, Claire said her husband often wrote
and handed out notes of encouragement. "He liked to do that when he
found out one of the kids had done something," she said. When news of
Curley's death spread, Claire said those same students, some of whom
kept the notes after all these years, fired off cards of their own.
Cards full of encouraging words and condolences have collected in the
Curley home. It's more to add to the garage wall. The public is invited
to a celebration of life for Don Curley at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the
Pacific Grove High School gymnasium. The family suggests any memorial
contributions be sent to the Don Curley Foundation c/o Wells Fargo
Bank, 1160 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, CA 93950.
Sonoma Index Tribune, CA
Don Curley Educator
9/6/02 - Don Curley passed away on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002. He had
fought a brief but valiant battle against cancer, and his death has
saddened many hearts. He was 69 years old. A 30-year resident of the
Monterey Peninsula, Mr. Curley was born in Minnesota in 1932, and came
with his family to California during the early years of World War II.
He was a three-sport athlete at San Leandro High School, where he met
his future bride, Claire Hansen. The two married a few years later, and
began raising their family. The professional life of Don Curley was
devoted to the education and well-being of children. Initially a high
school English teacher and PE coach at Sunset High School in Hayward,
he was also a successful coach of the football and baseball teams. He
later moved into school administration, eventually becoming principal
at Pacific Grove High School in 1972. After 12 years of leadership
there, he moved on to the district office, where he was assistant
superintendent of schools. After Mr. Curley retired in 1992, he began
to travel to many parts of the world, and to see his grandchildren more
often. With his grandchildren living in the Sonoma Valley, Mr. Curley
served as an occasional substitute teacher at El Verano Elementary. He
also began to play golf much more often after his retirement. Just last
March his golfing buddies witnessed Mr. Curley fire a hole-in-one at
the Pacific Grove Municipal course. He also greatly enjoyed
volunteering his coaching experience on the field and with the baseball
players at Pacific Grove High, most recently as last May. Other
passions included gardening, reading and telling jokes. When the "ship
and its sailors" took him away on Aug. 29, his wife of 49 years,
Claire, and their daughter Louisa sat with him in his bedroom. Mr.
Curley is survived by Claire and Louisa; son Tim and his family, wife
Judee and children Molly, Aaron, Ben and Jack, of Sonoma; and son Brian
and his wife Betsy and their children Dylan and Cooper, of Scottsdale,
Ariz. The public is encouraged to attend a celebration of the life of
Don Curley at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at the gymnasium at Pacific
Grove High School. Please designate any donations to the Don Curley
Foundation, c/o Wells Fargo Bank, 1060 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, CA
93945.
Knockout II Nov 2002
Don Curley, 69, a thirty-year resident of the Peninsula fought a losing
cancer battle. Born in Minnesota he came with his family to California
during WWII. Initially a high school English teacher he later moved to
administration and became Principal at PG Hi School. Later he moved to
the District Office and was Assistant Superintendent of Schools. A
golfer he scored a Hole-In-One at PG Municipal. He is survived by his
wife, Claire and daughter Louisa'81; son Tim '73 of Sonoma and son
Brian '77 of Scottsdale Ariz.