By Mike Takeuchi
(*Note a slightly different article appeared in another publication. Photo taking from Caring Bridge site.)
Despite all that I knew, the news hit me like a ton of bricks. When I first heard about longtime Bishop Diego and Carpinteria coach, teacher, and athletic director John Ward's passing, I was shocked at the suddenness of it all. After all, he was diagnosed only less than two weeks ago.
But the reality hit home when the coaches came to the podium.
Monday's Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon had been filled with thoughts on the 55-year-old coach and athletic director. His colleagues intimated that he had a serious illness, and a conversation with Carpinteria football coach Ben Hallock soon confirmed this.
But it was still hard to fathom the loss of one of the best and funniest high school teachers I ever had.
Back in the 1980's, Coach Ward arrived at Bishop Diego High School to teach and coach basketball. He replaced a no-nonsense, old-school guy - Jim Hargrove - that I had known and been fond of since I was a child. Until Monday, I always thought his first name was Mister.
The two were a study of contrasts, much like the Dodgers' stoic Walter Alston and his replacement, the effervescent Tommy Lasorda.
While Mr. Hargrove's underrated, dry humor was often overshadowed by his intensity, Coach Ward could be described as - well, a goofy guy who never met a pun he didn't like. Perhaps harboring a dream of one day being a stand-up comedian, he used the classroom as his stage and his students as his sometimes groan-filled audience.
But the funny thing is, through his unusual technique, even the most reluctant students like me learned much math and computer science from him. Perhaps it was because he was unafraid to show that he loved what he was doing.
Before moving on to another great teacher, UCSB's Paul Lee, Coach Ward taught me what recreation and the sporting lifestyle meant. He was an avid surfer then, possibly making him the coolest teacher we knew. And as was his style, Ward deflected a compliment with humor.
"I have to have some release after dealing with you yahoos five days a week," Ward quipped somewhat to the effect.
Despite claiming to need a break from us, his actions often spoke otherwise when he held open gym in the spring for anyone who wanted to play. Along with a few of us wannabes, there were future Bishop teacher and coach Ray Vasquez, current athletic director Dan Peeters, as well as City firefighters Junior Valdez and Jim McCoy from the basketball team, all having a good time with the guy who ran the activity with a constant commentary not unlike that of Harlem Globetrotters legend Meadowlark Lemon.
But beneath that humorous exterior lurked the passion of the coach. The moment that stands out the most came during a game between Bishop and then Tri-Valley League rival Fillmore. During an intense contest that would decide the league title, one of the Flashes' stars fouled out, prompting the fun-loving McCoy, who we called "Happy Boy," to respond with the old thumb-to-the-nose, fingers waving "Nyah! Nyah" taunt.
The referee was apparently unamused and assessed a technical foul, turning Coach Ward temporarily into Mr. Hargrove. But it didn't last very long. After giving Happy a temporary benching and an earful, he gave him encouragement and a slap on the butt before sending him back into the game.
That passion has endured over the years - first at Bishop, then at Carpinteria.
While the puns moved aside to more low-key asides, the humor remained as he attended virtually every Warriors' sporting event to make sure all his coaches, athletes and parents knew that they were loved.
Often running the front door, he would sometimes fill in as an announcer, utilizing his good nature to entertain an entire stadium filled with CIF track athletes and their families while pushing Carp's famous tri-tip sandwiches virtually every five minutes in cleverly worded sentences. Madison Avenue had nothing on Coach, because danged if I didn't buy two of them myself.
While always appreciative of this reporter's presence, he would also call on me if he read something he didn't think was right. One particular story had one of his coaches commenting liberally after a controversial loss. The next day, Coach Ward approached me during a Carpinteria volleyball match and sternly voiced his displeasure on what was written.
Ten minutes later, he sidled next to me and in a voice that reminded me of that teacher 25 years ago, apologizing without having to say sorry.
"You know Mike, I have to teach some of my coaches how to say 'No comment,' " he said with a smile.
As someone who has seen death first hand, professionally and personally, I can say that it is never easy for not only the person going through it, but their surrounding loved ones. I recall sitting with my mom on a weekly basis as she slowly deteriorated while losing her mental capabilities after two and a half years in bed.
With Coach Ward, the end came quickly and I am sure, painfully. Through it all, I am sure he did his best to keep those who loved him from being in too much pain. Ever the unselfish teacher and coach.
My final lasting memory of him occurred during a Bishop-Carpinteria baseball game last spring. On a miserable, rainy day during which nobody seemed happy to be there, the Cardinals overcame a nine-run, first-inning deficit to rally for a 10-9 win in extras.
Coach Ward approached myself and Peeters afterward.
"Well, I guess there could be worse days," he said with his ever-present grin.
Without you John, this is one of those days.
(For more on John, visit CaringBridge.org and type in "Johnward".
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