Whether you win or lose, we will act like gentlemen.". Charlie Wedemeyer, Gregg Lewis. "It's not light.". Then, in early 1985, Wedemeyer hovered between life and death. What happened that season was pure Hollywood. Doctors were surprised how well he has healed, according to Lucy. The immense payoffs overshadow the games grass roots. The other looks at Wedemeyer quizzically, scribbling notes in frantic fashion (lips go up more on T; teeth slide more on R) and squinting at his mouth as he tries again. But Charlie Wedemeyer was more than a football coachhe was an inspiration. Heres a guy who could have been a good high school coach. Charlie Wedemeyer was the Hawaii prep athlete of the decade in the 1960s after starring in football, basketball and baseball at Punahou High School. A year later, he felt weakness in his right hand. The most fun I had with the guy, though, was when we could just talk football. Bess Meyer, who plays Charlie's daughter, Carri, does an excellent job playing the one member of the family who is so torn by her father's situation that she needs to escape to her world of music rather than deal with the reality of his illness. But his life itself is testimony to his really strong commitment to getting the job done. ALS is a terminal illness in which one is given, at most, three years to live. To make this lifestyle work, Charlies family members had to learn complicated medical techniques. Every one of our players in the NFL had a person who influenced them and mentored them as they were coming up. No matter what. A high school coachs invaluable role too often is lost in a sports world focused the attention that the College Football Playoff and the Super Bowl attracts. The ordeal left her unable to return to school "like I had originally planned," says Cercena, who learned she'd been accepted into a selective emergency room immersion training program at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. Some of Charlie's ambitious assistant coaches feel his obsession to remain coach against all odds may be more harmful than helpful to the team. Wedemeyer was a legendary high school athlete at Punahou School in Honolulu until he joined Michigan State coach Duffy Daughertys Hawaiian Pipeline. In the fall of 1976, Wedemeyer began having trouble pressing the chalk against the blackboard as he taught math classes. No matter how tired we are, theres always someone that needs encouragement. At his death, he could only move his eyes, eyebrows and lips. Maybe he doesnt know any other way. "He was determined to win, especially when he had ended up in Kaiser Hospital after the first time they played," Lucy wrote in a recent e-mail. By 1983, the disease had taken its toll and Charlie couldnt speak. Charlie Wedemeyer was one of those teachers and coaches who inspired kids to be better because of the work he did with them.. In 1978, while he was the head football coach at Los Gatos High School, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 1964: Excelled in football, basketball and baseball at Punahou School; named years later as Hawaiis Prep Athlete of the 1960s by a Honolulu newspaper. Weakened by her ordeal, Cercena could not complete her final coursework to graduate in May. . For the first time, he believed he could coach again. His specialties: Hawaiian teriyaki chicken, Korean barbecue, short ribs, turkey chili, meat loaf and chicken stir fry. "I have kind of always loved emergency," she says. But were not going to be able to do it without you., Recalling the scene, Scialabba, 40, now a teacher and assistant coach at Los Gatos, said, He looked like a skeleton on the bed there. Also played on Punahou's ILH championship teams in basketball (1964) and baseball (1965). July 3, 2007: Inducted into the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame. It emphasizes the importance of love and family, without ignoring the conflicting feelings and burdens that resulted from Wedemeyer's obsessive struggle to continue his life as normally as possible. His family established the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach program that would present scholarships to deserving young people and raise funds for others coping with ALS; his autobiography, Charlies Victory, offers an inspirational story of love, courage and commitment; and the Wedemeyers would travel the world, according to their website, to share their message that he is a living testament that, with God, all things are possible.. Tech, restaurant, logistics layoffs trigger more than 300 Bay Area job cuts, Shooting in Oakland hotel parking lot puts man in critical condition, Antioch: Homicide suspect arrested in Brentwood home, East Bay lawmaker blasts open sore at BART, resigns from Senate committee, Super sandwiches: 16 of the Bay Areas best sandos to try right now, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. In the celebration that followed, Wedemeyers respirator hose was knocked loose. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Behind the scenes sports news. Maybe this is your opportunity to help him., The more this sort of thing happened, Lucy said, the more we realized its not about us, but the abilities that God gave us., Whether at churches, schools or charity functions, to ALS victims or San Quentin prisoners, the Wedemeyers have become messengers of hope. Also check out my stories on AllSportsDiscussion.com. They remember the guy with the smile on his face.. Services Daughter of Rebecca Kaono Wedemeyer of Pukoa, Hawaii. He makes an annual appearance at the Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Classic in San Jose, and he continues to help coach the Los Gatos frosh-soph team. A Bundt cake pan lined with a garbage bag is placed under his head, and a pitcher of water is poured over his hair. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Though not a deeply religious man, he allowed a nurse to place a hand on him and pray as he lay at home in bed. Still, restaurant excursions remain one of his greatest pleasures. And what, exactly, did Charlie say this time? This is pure joy for our family, Lucy said. He's such a motivator that spending time with him also makes it easy to see that his story is a story of hope.". I cant imagine. After the diagnosis, the Los Gatos principal told Wedemeyer he could stay as head coach as long as he wished until 1986, when the principal changed his mind and gave the job to one of Charlies assistants. He's working on another documentary, although the past year has been more difficult for him, according to Lucy. Wedemeyer played quarterback on the football team along with basketball and baseball at Punahou, the alma mater of President Barack Obama. Wedemeyer was the last of nine children born to Bill and Ruth Wedemeyer. Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. When the test results came back in early 1978, Griffin didnt know how to break the news. June 29, 1995: Inducted into first class of the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame along with Lucy. That speaks volumes for Wedemeyer, because while he was a great high school football coach, his legacy goes much deeper. Ventilators, for example, cost $150 a month to rent but are not covered, even though Wedemeyer needs them to survive. And he was robbed of that.. But when I walked out of that hospital room, I felt like I was never going to see him again. There are times when practice gets hard, hot double days, struggles that you face both on and off the football field, Edwards told The Times last fall. Wedemeyers body deteriorated. Today, he inspires others through his will to live. She said the doctor first resisted, contending that Charlie would be susceptible to infection, but then performed the tracheotomy. February 1978: Diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrigs disease, and given two to three years to live. His island shaka spirit with Hawaiian/German ancestry returns home to Hawaii for his posthumous induction into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame on Jan. 21 in Hawaii. Out of her own pocket Lucy pays for more than 80 hours per week of private nursing, at annual costs exceeding $100,000. Were all going to experience it. "Educational change is evolutionary, and its tempo is "In a sense," he told them, "I also have a life sentence.". And hed heard even more stories about his dad, Charlie Wedemeyer, Hawaiis high school athlete of the decade in the 1960s who earned a football scholarship to He loved Duffy Daugherty, who had been Charlies college coach at Michigan State. At least with the die part. Lucy is adamant that her sacrifice should in no way be compared to the enormity of Charlies. He was a high school athlete and was quarterback of the Punahou School football team. But each season the San Francisco 49ers remind Bay Area fans the importance of a high school coach. I called him in the late 80s to tell him wed be interested in naming the all-star football game after him. Besides his wife, Wedemeyer is survived by their daughter, Carri, and son, Kale; and seven grandchildren. No one was too big for him to attack.. The legendary football coach died Thursday. They did. Played in 1969 East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco and the 1969 Hula Bowl. They shared their own stories of personal tragedies, with a woman they had never met and a man who cannot speak. And he ranked No. We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves, be bitter and angry and cause everybody else and us to be miserable. But his reach as a football coach went much deeper than the Xs and Os. He could barely keep down even a spoonful of soup, and was losing weight fast. But it took more than 30 seconds, seemingly eons to Kamehameha defenders, because Wedemeyer went back to the 25-yard line for an errant lateral by a teammate who was about to be tackled. CHARLIE WEDEMEYER his life. Through 41 years of marriage, Lucy has remained funny, upbeat, vivacious and strong, even if she privately struggled at times to cope. Wedemeyer was a football, basketball and baseball star at Honolulus Punahou School, where he met Lucy, a cheerleader. Of the 5,600 Americans diagnosed with ALS each year, 50 percent die within five years. Her story, first published by ABC6/FOX28 this past February, caught the attention of Louis Tejada, the Critical Care Fellowship Manager at OhioHealth, a family of not-for-profit healthcare providers located in Columbus, named one of PEOPLE'S 100 Companies That Care in 2021. Then, in 1977, his wonderful life turned upside down when he was struck with the deadly Lou Gehrig's disease, less commonly known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Wedemeyers final game in seven years as the head coach included a Hollywood ending. But as the months went by, he got worse, and the chalk began dropping to the floor. When people hear my dad speak, they dont remember the guy in the wheelchair, Kale said. Wedemeyer died early Thursday in a San Jose hospital of pneumonia and was surrounded by family and friends, said his wife, Lucy. So he chose not to. How did the Wedemeyers deal with it, 24 hours a day, every day and night, for the past 32 years? When its time to leave, Wedemeyer is hoisted into the van by three people, including a nurse who holds a portable air bag to his throat until his respirator is plugged into the vehicles generator. Besides, Kyle and his daughter Sawyer, who is in her early 20s, are also actively involved in the campaign to end the practice of shark finning. Kale, then 15, saved him by sticking a catheter down his throat, clearing an airway and forcing him to gag and cough. PHOTO (Michigan State Athletics): Charlie Wedemeyer was an all-purpose quarterback, flanker and holder. Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story is a 1988 American television film directed by Roy Campanella II and starring Michael Nouri as Charlie Wedemeyer and Pam Dawber as his wife Lucy.[1][2][3]. "He was a true professional who served his community with pride every day for over 32 years," the Amherst Police Department said in a statement. Goodbye, Columbus. Daughter Carri Andry, 40, lives in Los Gatos and runs the Charlie Wedemeyer Family Outreach, which raises money for ALS families. There are so many great Charlie Wedemeyer stories. Lucy said she no longer experiences the despair she felt years ago when Kale and Carri, barely teenagers, helped ease her pain with prayer. WebCharles A. Wedemeyer (19111999) was a pioneer in the field of independent and distance learning. Wedemeyers favorite joke: When a nervous new nurse carefully suctions his throat, he rolls his head to one side and contorts his face in agony. But while the procedures fortified his body with food and oxygen, they cost Wedemeyer the ability to speak, eat and breathe on his own. Wedemeyer was never going to cooperate. Services are tentatively scheduled for June 19 in Los Gatos. He was amazing right till the end.. Lucy said Daugherty stayed in touch with Wedemeyer throughout his post-Michigan State days. His whole ego and sense of accomplishment were all wrapped up by what he did on the field. WebWedemeyer was the last of nine children born to Bill and Ruth Wedemeyer. He lived for 32 years before the disease took his life in the early morning hours of June 3. Springbett, a 1981 Los Gatos graduate, played for Wedemeyer during his junior and senior years. The film was shot on location in South Carolina, with the Wedemeyer family present. 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