We lost two coaches from my youth recently. The first to go was our high school basketball Coach Cunningham, who was hired to coach at Kingman when he was only 21! His full name was J. David Cunningham, although I never knew that. He was always just Coach Cunningham to us. We thought he was so old and he was only about seven years older than us, in 1965. He passed last August.
Kingman High Bulldogs, 1965
Left to right: Wayne Rutschman, Ray Bonham, Dan The Man Harshberger, BBB, Ralph Mullenax, Nay Nish, Coach Cunningham, Manager Mike Tarr
If someone had asked me how old Coach Cunningham was then I would have said, "Oh, 35 or 40." He was 27!
Just last week came word that Coach Jim Vandevier had passed on Christmas Day in Kingman. We all called him "Vandy." Here's a photo of him back in the day, teaching auto shop.
Coach Vandevier In Auto Shop with Jim Hornbuckle and Richard Inman.
We all called him "Vandy," or "Coach Vandy."
Vandy and Me at MCUHS 50th Class Reunion
in 2015.
Great guy. We were so much closer in age than I ever realized.
"I can't believe how old people my age are."
—Old Kingman Saying
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