Vallecito, CA…Gordon Sadler Sr. of Vallecito died Oct. 19 of an aneurysm while attending a family event in his native Iowa. He was 77.

Known to many as “Coach”, he taught and coached football and baseball at Northern California high schools for more than 50 years. His Lower Lake High teams won North Coast Section championships in baseball (1980) and football (1988) and he received the Gatorade Coaches Care Award in 1994. The football field at Lower Lake bears his name.

Born in a farmhouse outside Washta, Iowa on March 20, 1938 to Fred and Agnes Sadler, he was raised as a farm boy and played basketball and baseball in high school. He graduated among the top 10 in his class (which consisted of only eight students).

He attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, where he played football and baseball. Barbara, his high school sweetheart, eventually joined him there and they were married in December 1959.

They moved to Clear Lake in 1961, where they raised their three children. He retired from teaching in 1996.

They moved to Vallecito upon Barbara’s retirement from teaching in 2002, where he returned to his roots of raising cattle.

His primary passion was helping to develop young people into responsible adults and he mentored thousands of student-athletes and fellow coaches throughout his long career. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, eating ice cream, pulling pranks and telling tall tales.

He’s survived by his wife of 55 years, Barbara Sadler of Vallecito; daughter Teri (Norma) of Carmichael; sons Gordon Jr. (Elaine) of Murphys and Ken of Rio Linda; and granddaughters Kayla of Modesto and Hailey of Quincy. He was preceded in death by his brother, Gayland, and sister, Gleva Axelson.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Bret Hart High School theater, and a celebration of life event will take place immediately following in the Mark Twain building at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds. Tri-Tip and beans will be provided and family and friends are welcome to bring a salad, side dish, or dessert to share. Another memorial service will take place in Lake County on December 5th at 1:00 p.m. at a location still to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, the family has created a scholarship at Bret Hart High School; contributions will be accepted at the Bank of Stockton in Angels Camp. In addition, a memorial account has been set up to support the football program at Lower Lake High School; contributions will be accepted by the Lower Lake High School Football Fundraising Association (LLHSFFA) at P.O. Box 97 Lower Lake, Ca 95457

“Do what’s right, give 100 percent, treat others as you want to be treated and the scoreboard will take care of itself.” – Gordon Sadler Sr.