 |
| 1956, G-unit is forty and on the left. |
 |
| My Men |
Richard Stultz passed away peacefully on the morning of December 6th 2010 at the ripe old age of 93. He was born on March 21, 1917 and was my birthday buddy my entire life since I was born on March 22nd. I was the one birthday he never forgot of all his Grandkids. Today the man in my life texted me after I let him know that my beloved Grandpa had passed away. Saying something to me in a text that made my heart melt. That possibly he had come into my life to replace the G-Unit as the birthday buddy. His birthday is March 21st and I cannot put into words what it means to me.
Tonight I grabbed my Grandpa's plaque off his wall in his room. It say's "If the term 'legendary' applies to any Lake Stevens High School coach, it applies first and most indelibly to Dick Stultz, who while famously teaching English and literature, coached football at the "Pink Palace" during the fifties, sixties and seventies. His genius and memory still walk these halls. Between 1964 and 1966 he recruited players from study hall and coached with only one or two assistants. Coach Stultz's Vikings beat Monroe and Stanwood both undefeated and top-ranked winning 36 consecutive games, and outscored their ten opponents 405 to 37. Those 1966 Vikings earned First Team All League honors in 18 of 22 positions and the State Championship vote. Dick was voted Man of the Year in Sports three times; 1960, 1962 and 1965. He was coach of the year in 1966 and was elected to the Washington State Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1981. Said by many to have the best football mind of any coach they have ever known, the Lake Stevens football tradition owes much to the legacy of Dick Stultz."
That is the part of his life he is most famous for besides his love of the game. He loved sports and women and was full of life, piss and vinegar.
He taught me how to shoot a basketball and throw a football. He taught me the love of football, baseball and basketball, crosswords, reading and fishing. So many fishing, hunting trips and parties. He was married three times. Bettye Pandolofo, Sue and his last wife who also preceded him in death Earline "Sparky" Stultz. Bettye was my Mom's Mom and the Mother of his children she was wonderful, beautiful and creative. Sue was the one I remember the least, but had a Mother of her own that lived on Lake Stevens. Grandma Vega; what a character, Swedish pancakes and fishing on the lake. So many buried memories. The first time I met Earline, I was in the sixth grade and just returning home from Camp Wooten. It turned out to be a historical weekend, May 18, 1980 Mount Saint Helens erupted and we never did return to the sixth grade. His woman were as colorful as he was. He was the last of my Grandparents.
Holy Moly! As he would say, and what a ride!
Children
Richard Stultz
Michael Stultz
Rozan Meacham
Jeffrey Stultz
Step-Children
Erica, Krissy, Tom and Jackie
Grandchildren
Mark Stultz
Darren Stultz
Brian Stultz
Shannon Johansen
Kerry Meacham
Michael Stultz
David Stultz
Keely Finn
and numerous Great Grand children...
No comments:
Post a Comment