Passed away on May 27, 2006 in Santa Rosa. A native of Grand Forks, ND. Age 69 years. Devoted husband of Edna Gaddie of Santa Rosa. Cherished father of Cindy Gaddie, Susan Wheeler (Terry), all of Santa Rosa, Shelley Gaddie (Kim) of Seattle, WA, and Greg Gaddie (Eli) of Santa Rosa. Adored grandfather of five. Beloved son of the late Josephine and Walter Gaddie. Loving brother of Jack Gaddie and Leroy Gaddie, both of E. Grand Forks, MN, and the late Lenore Brantl, Dorothy Gaddie, Donna Spoor, and Robert Gaddie. Also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Coach Mike Gaddie, who was instrumental in developing Piner High School's athletic programs, including 28 years as basketball coach, died Saturday. Gaddie died at a Santa Rosa convalescent home. He'd suffered from Alzheimer's disease for the past several years.
Known as a coach with a gruff exterior, Gaddie's demeanor was just a cover for a man with a big heart whose love and dedication to the school ran deep, friends said. "He was loyal and worked hard for athletics at Piner High School. I could talk forever about him ... and a whole list of things he achieved while he was there," said Gene McKamey, fellow Piner coach and close friend for 45 years. "He was just a really outstanding coach," McKamey said.
"He loved it," said his wife, Edna Gaddie of Santa Rosa. The Gaddies were married almost 48 years. They raised three girls and one boy. "We grew up in East Grand Forks, on the Minnesota-North Dakota border," Gaddie said. As kids, Mike and Edna lived across the street from each other, grew up together and fell in love. After marrying and armed with a teaching degree, Mike Gaddie and his wife left the small town and moved to California.
First it was Porterville, near Bakersfield, where he taught junior high one year. Gaddie then returned to college for his master's degree, and the young family moved north to Miranda, where he taught at South Fork High School near Eureka. For four years, he taught history and coached basketball and football.
From South Fork, Gaddie went to St. Helena High for two years. When Piner opened in 1966, Gaddie was hired to coach and teach. He worked 30 years at Piner, coached basketball for 28 years, helped coach football for many years and was athletic director for much of his career there.
He loved all things sports, and was an ardent Oakland Raiders fan. He helped start the Piner Boosters Club and was one of the original founders of Schools Plus, a fund-raising effort for Santa Rosa schools. Fellow coaches remembered how he did so many things that seemed counter to his tough-guy attitude, including buying basketball shoes for players who couldn't afford them.
"He acted mean and tough but he wasn't like that really," McKamey said. "I think of the years he sold popcorn for 10 cents a bag to raise enough money to buy a weight machine, how he opened the gym up for kids, all these positive things," McKamey said.
Called the heart and soul of Piner's early athletic years, his coaching career included respectable records and several heart-stopping, big-game upsets. "We never won league, but he'd always step up and win a big game," said Tom Mertle, who played basketball for Gaddie from 1973-75. Mertle remembered particularly satisfying wins against Cardinal Newman, including one where a tearful coach Gaddie told him he'd never forget that win. "He said I'd remember it the rest of my life. I do. "For me, he was a special guy. A lot of the things I got from him, I passed on to my kids," Mertle said.
Dominique Wirtz, who played basketball from 1966-69, became so close to his coach that he invited Gaddie to be the best man at his wedding. "I was a troubled young man," Wirtz said. "He taught me discipline and integrity. He taught me loyalty and to work hard and never give up."
Along with his wife, Gaddie is survived by daughters Cindy Gaddie and Susan Wheeler, both of Santa Rosa, and Shelley Gaddie of Seattle; son Greg Gaddie of Santa Rosa; brothers Jack and Leroy Gaddie, both of East Grand Forks, Minn.; and five grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Eugene's Cathedral in Santa Rosa. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Lafferty & Smith Colonial Chapel. A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the mortuary. Memorial contributions may be made to Piner High School Foundation, 1700 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa 95403, or the Alzheimer's Association, 1211 N. Dutton Ave., Suite A, Santa Rosa 95401. Interment will be private at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Santa Rosa.
- Randi Rossmann
Mike Gaddie, basketball coach (1966-92) inducted into Piner Hall of Fame, April 21, 2007
Gaddie won 243 games in his 26 years as boys coach, but built a reputation on upsets such as the 29-28 win against undefeated Cardinal Newman in 1968. In 1977-78, Piner went 19-7 and earned a trip to the North Coast Section. In 1983-84, Piner won 8-of-10 down the stretch to reach the NCS, before losing to Petaluma.
Gaddie helped start the Piner Boosters Club, was an original founder of Schools Plus, a fund-raising program, and he started the Sonoma County Classic tournament, still being held annually.
Gaddie grew up in East Grand Forks, N.D. He married the girl across the street, Edna, and they were married for nearly 48 years. Gaddie, a University of North Dakota grad, came west with Edna, stopping first at Porterville. He then taught and coached at South Fork for four years. While there, he met Piner coach Gene McKamey. He moved on to St. Helena and then came to Piner when it opened in 1966.
Gaddie will be inducted posthumously.
- Rich Rupprecht
Coach Mike Gaddie, who was instrumental in developing Piner High School's athletic programs, including 28 years as basketball coach, died Saturday. Gaddie died at a Santa Rosa convalescent home. He'd suffered from Alzheimer's disease for the past several years.
Known as a coach with a gruff exterior, Gaddie's demeanor was just a cover for a man with a big heart whose love and dedication to the school ran deep, friends said. "He was loyal and worked hard for athletics at Piner High School. I could talk forever about him ... and a whole list of things he achieved while he was there," said Gene McKamey, fellow Piner coach and close friend for 45 years. "He was just a really outstanding coach," McKamey said.
"He loved it," said his wife, Edna Gaddie of Santa Rosa. The Gaddies were married almost 48 years. They raised three girls and one boy. "We grew up in East Grand Forks, on the Minnesota-North Dakota border," Gaddie said. As kids, Mike and Edna lived across the street from each other, grew up together and fell in love. After marrying and armed with a teaching degree, Mike Gaddie and his wife left the small town and moved to California.
First it was Porterville, near Bakersfield, where he taught junior high one year. Gaddie then returned to college for his master's degree, and the young family moved north to Miranda, where he taught at South Fork High School near Eureka. For four years, he taught history and coached basketball and football.
From South Fork, Gaddie went to St. Helena High for two years. When Piner opened in 1966, Gaddie was hired to coach and teach. He worked 30 years at Piner, coached basketball for 28 years, helped coach football for many years and was athletic director for much of his career there.
He loved all things sports, and was an ardent Oakland Raiders fan. He helped start the Piner Boosters Club and was one of the original founders of Schools Plus, a fund-raising effort for Santa Rosa schools. Fellow coaches remembered how he did so many things that seemed counter to his tough-guy attitude, including buying basketball shoes for players who couldn't afford them.
"He acted mean and tough but he wasn't like that really," McKamey said. "I think of the years he sold popcorn for 10 cents a bag to raise enough money to buy a weight machine, how he opened the gym up for kids, all these positive things," McKamey said.
Called the heart and soul of Piner's early athletic years, his coaching career included respectable records and several heart-stopping, big-game upsets. "We never won league, but he'd always step up and win a big game," said Tom Mertle, who played basketball for Gaddie from 1973-75. Mertle remembered particularly satisfying wins against Cardinal Newman, including one where a tearful coach Gaddie told him he'd never forget that win. "He said I'd remember it the rest of my life. I do. "For me, he was a special guy. A lot of the things I got from him, I passed on to my kids," Mertle said.
Dominique Wirtz, who played basketball from 1966-69, became so close to his coach that he invited Gaddie to be the best man at his wedding. "I was a troubled young man," Wirtz said. "He taught me discipline and integrity. He taught me loyalty and to work hard and never give up."
Along with his wife, Gaddie is survived by daughters Cindy Gaddie and Susan Wheeler, both of Santa Rosa, and Shelley Gaddie of Seattle; son Greg Gaddie of Santa Rosa; brothers Jack and Leroy Gaddie, both of East Grand Forks, Minn.; and five grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Eugene's Cathedral in Santa Rosa. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Lafferty & Smith Colonial Chapel. A prayer service will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the mortuary. Memorial contributions may be made to Piner High School Foundation, 1700 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa 95403, or the Alzheimer's Association, 1211 N. Dutton Ave., Suite A, Santa Rosa 95401. Interment will be private at Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Santa Rosa.
- Randi Rossmann
Mike Gaddie, basketball coach (1966-92) inducted into Piner Hall of Fame, April 21, 2007
Gaddie won 243 games in his 26 years as boys coach, but built a reputation on upsets such as the 29-28 win against undefeated Cardinal Newman in 1968. In 1977-78, Piner went 19-7 and earned a trip to the North Coast Section. In 1983-84, Piner won 8-of-10 down the stretch to reach the NCS, before losing to Petaluma.
Gaddie helped start the Piner Boosters Club, was an original founder of Schools Plus, a fund-raising program, and he started the Sonoma County Classic tournament, still being held annually.
Gaddie grew up in East Grand Forks, N.D. He married the girl across the street, Edna, and they were married for nearly 48 years. Gaddie, a University of North Dakota grad, came west with Edna, stopping first at Porterville. He then taught and coached at South Fork for four years. While there, he met Piner coach Gene McKamey. He moved on to St. Helena and then came to Piner when it opened in 1966.
Gaddie will be inducted posthumously.
- Rich Rupprecht
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