Colorado's Western Slope has lost one of its stellar sports figures in Bill Fanning, the longtime baseball coach at Grand Junction High School.
Known as "Coach" by most people in Grand Junction as well as in baseball circles throughout the state, Fan- ning died Feb. 8 at a hospice care facility in Grand Junction of complications from pneumonia.
He was 91.
A funeral Mass is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Junction.
Fanning played baseball at the University of Colorado and was a four-year letterman. He earned all-Big Seven Conference honors in 1947 as a pitcher and utility infielder.
Fanning's coaching career in Grand Junction began in 1954 and continued for 35 years. He also served in the classroom, teaching world history.
Fanning's high school coaching record was among the state's best in any sport.
His teams were 467-172, with 21 state playoff appearances and state championships in 1961, 1962 and 1976.
His 1961 and 1962 teams combined for 43 consecutive victories. He was the first high school baseball coach in Colorado to record 400 victories.
Fanning received many awards for his coaching and teaching career.
In 1998, he was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame.
He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. And in 2010, he was an inaugural inductee of the Colorado Dugout Club Hall of Fame.
Fanning also was a three-sport official, calling football, basketball and baseball games.
Irv Moss: 303-954-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/dp-news-obituaries/~3/5g43dD_HPuw/longtime-coach-fanning-dies-at-91
groundhog phil pee wee herman ketamine ground hogs day 2012 goundhog day punxsutawney egypt soccer riot
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন