FORMER COACH'S FAVORITE TROPHY IS GRANDCHILDREN.

Byline: BETTIE RENCORET Senior Columnist

Bucky Wolter, who retired as director of athletics and division chairman from Antelope Valley College almost 21 years ago, will always be remembered for setting positive character standards as well as championship goals.

He and his wife of 55 years, Pat, have one whole room in their home devoted to awards, trophies, autographed footballs, and written and pictorial tributes.

These are not his most prized possessions, however. His role model influence on local campus sports from 1957 to 1978 carried over into his family life and through the ensuing years has colored the lives of their children and grandchildren.

Pat and Bucky raised three daughters here in the Antelope Valley: Barbara Fisher, now living in Longville, Minn.; Tammy Avery, who died in 1973; and Kimberly Spratt, Pleasanton, Calif. Their seven grandchildren are now their pride and joy.

``They are our most cherished trophies,'' said Bucky pointing to their pictures.

Bucky, born April 18, 1918 in Sibley, Iowa, received a bachelor's degree from Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa in 1940. He was the first person ever to achieve 12 athletic letters from Westmar.

His first job after college was a teaching and coaching job at Correctionville, Iowa, for two years, then he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard.

After serving from 1941 to 1945, he went back to college on the G.I. Bill and received a master's degree in physical education from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Coast Guard base in Alameda, where he was stationed, had a football team and he played regular halfback for a season. During the second season he injured his knee. That put him out of the scrimmage and he was subsequently sent to the South San Francisco Coast Guard Station.

The station was mainly operated to patrol the coastal areas for enemy submarines and he joined in his share of search cruises.

``Coaching was pretty much my job, though, when I was up in South San Francisco,'' he said. ``I was into all sports, so I was made athletic director, head basketball coach and head baseball coach.''

One day up there, he was told they were going to play a basketball game at San Quentin. He took the team over and got settled for the match.

``How good are you?'' the San Quentin coach asked him.

``We're pretty good. How good are you?'' he replied.

``We're real good,'' came the response. ``Some of us have been playing here for 15 years.''

Pat and Bucky were married Jan. 2, 1943, and after his military service they went back to Iowa where from 1946 to 1951 he coached football, basketball, baseball and track at Onawa High School.

In 1949, under Coach Wolter, the football team went undefeated for the first time in the school's history. All of his teams excelled in conference play and chalked up a string of firsts.

Bucky spent a few more years teaching in Spencer, Iowa, and that school had the longest winning record in the state before he left in 1957 to bring his family to Lancaster.

Once here, they bought a brand new house on Beech Avenue.

``It was just a tract house,'' said Pat, ``but we thought we were big time. We lived there for 15 years before we moved out to a beautiful, small ranch on Avenue N-4.''

``We moved around a lot,'' said Bucky. ``I've always liked to buy places and fix them up.''

They built their current home, but shortly after they moved in, they also bought the house across the street.

``You know who we sold it to?'' he said. ``One day a big black Cadillac drove up and parked, and Dale Evans got out. She's from Iowa too, and we had quite a talk. She loved it and bought it for one of her daughters.''

During his years on staff at Antelope Valley College, Bucky instituted several new programs. Among them was the bowling class.

When the college moved from the cramped high school campus to its new facilities on 30th Street West and Avenue K, Bucky began more new classes, including weight lifting, swimming, volleyball, badminton and dance.

Then he introduced varsity swimming, women's varsity tennis and basketball, an intramural basketball program and men's cross country.

While he was coaching football, he and Pat held an open house after each game - win or lose.

``We had some mighty good times,'' said Bucky.

Pat has always starred as the woman behind the man and provided a basic stability for Bucky and the children. Their walls are dotted with old family photos in antique frames and paintings by family artists.

She also carefully chronicles major family events in organized scrapbooks and journals. She wants memorabilia to be the major legacy for their children.

Pat expresses her pride and devotion to each of her children and grandchildren through frequent love poems. Every occasion inspires her poetry, and the recipients sometimes respond in kind. She keeps them all.

While Bucky was doing the awards banquet scene, often as the master of ceremonies, he began to compile some of his words of wisdom into a list. Many have been used as teaching tools for the family young.

The list - titled ``SAYS WHO? SAYS PAPA, THAT'S WHO!'' - includes such statements as: ``You can't turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again''; ``the road to happiness is usually under construction''; ``even a dead fish can float downstream''; and ``your best friend is the one that can bring out the best in you.''

Or on the lighter side: ``Why do cows wear bells? Because their horns don't work.''

He hasn't lost his passion for sports, so it only was natural to ask him: ``Who's going to win the Super Bowl?''

He quickly responded, ``the Packers, of course.''

LANCASTER - The Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program provides free assistance with Medicare and other health insurance questions, by appointment, on Thursday afternoons at the Antelope Valley Senior Center, 777 W. Jackman St.

Cora Belle Crane, volunteer counselor, trained by HICAP is available to discuss claims and costs, HMOs, Medicare supplement insurance, long-term care insurance and other related issues.

To schedule an appointment, call the center at [phone].

LANCASTER - Menus for the week at the senior life nutrition sites in Lancaster, Palmdale and Pearblossom have been announced. All meals include bread, margarine and coffee, tea or milk. Suggested donation is $2 each.

Monday: Fish Creole, rice, broccoli, marinated beets, cookies and juice.

Tuesday: Chicken jambalaya, rice, Italian vegetables, tossed salad and orange.

Wednesday: Hearty beef stew, corn with peppers, coleslaw and ice cream.

Thursday: Roast pork with gravy, cornbread stuffing, peas, carrot/pineapple salad, spiced applesauce and juice.

Friday: Lemon chicken, scalloped potatoes, spinach, Jell-O, peach crisp and juice.

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Photo

PHOTO Pat and Bucky Wolter display mementos from Bucky's years as A.V. College coach and athletic director.

Bettie Rencoret/Special to the Daily News