By Bill Yee
Great men are not just found in the history books. Some live quiet lives as role models and leave a lasting impact on those whose lives they touch. Calvin Chow, Bill Gin, and Bobby Umemoto are three such unsung heroes.
My friend Calvin Chow was somewhat of a codger. Some might think he would be the guy that would say to kids, “Get off my lawn!” In reality, he had a heart of gold and was generous to a fault.
He and I coached tennis at Alhambra High School for over 16 years. I was his loyal sidekick and assistant. He had a tough demeanor but the kids always saw through that. He never married so I would kid him that he had no kids that he knew of except for the generations of students he coached in his 40-plus years as a tennis coach in the San Gabriel Valley.
Unfortunately, Coach Chow passed in 2023 after a long battle with cancer. At his memorial many of his students were in attendance. There were a lot of tears and tributes by students expressing the impact he had on their lives.
One of his tennis players spoke of how he changed her life with encouraging words and made her feel a part of the team. Another young lady recalled all the great conversations that she had with him over the years even after she graduated, and the meals they shared! And many recalled all the snacks he supplied … doughnuts, pizza, etc.
If Coach Chow had heard these comments, he would have dismissed them in his humble way.
Bill Gin was a great friend and an important part of my family’s life. For starters, he was a mentor to my sons Derek and Colin. They became Eagle Scouts under his leadership. He was a role model and a father figure to hundreds of scouts, including his son Darren, in Troop 301, for which he was the scoutmaster for many years.
He patiently led by example. Although he encountered some difficult parents, he never reacted in anger. His reply was, “That’s okay!” I called him the “Teflon Scoutmaster” because insults never “stuck” to him.
Bill always acknowledged that the secret of his success in scouting should really go to his wife, Rainie. He said she did all the hard work; he was just a figurehead. Bill was a humble man.
He was a great administrator. At one point, the troop grew to over 70 scouts and there were 14 assistant scoutmasters (ASMs) in the troop. He trusted the ASMs, never micromanaging our actions.
After his son Darren earned his Eagle rank and left the troop, Bill wanted to retire from scouting too. Dan Moberg, one of the ASMs, and I begged him to stay until our boys were done. He stayed and we are grateful.
One of the lasting memories … at the end of every summer camp, camporee, or campout Bill would gather the scouts in a circle on the last night to thank God for the opportunity to be together and to have each boy say what he was thankful for!
The next day before we would head home, despite our protests and grumblings, we were all required to gather for the famous group picture. Bill loved taking pictures. We now treasure his dedication to capturing the Kodak moments of our scouting experiences.
One thing that always struck me about Bill is that he would never talk about himself. He would always ask,“How are you doing? How is your family?”He cared about all of us!
I treasure the years we were in scouting together. I also treasure all the memories and the lasting friendship we have with Bill, Rainie, and the Gin family.
Bill too passed in 2023. At his celebration of life, 500 people showed up. Bill left his impact on the scouts as well as with his church family. Again the tributes were tearful and heartfelt.
Boys recalled scoutmaster conferences and the summer camps, but, most importantly, many remembered his patience and caring. It was his custom to take out a boy who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and present a gift.
Bill was very generous and had a heart of gold.
Bobby Umemoto has been my son Colin’s baseball and basketball coach.
Bobby has participated in NAU (Nisei Athletic Union) baseball and the annual tournament for over 50 years both as a player (catcher) and manager of the Li’l Tokio Giants. He began playing when he was 13 years old.
One of his first memories of this tournament was being the batboy in the 1961 Fresno tournament and carrying the doggie bags for Sam Adachi after a team meal. He also remembers being on the winning team for a few championships.
Bobby has always impressed me with his cool demeanor, encouraging words and patience with his players.
Recently he was honored by NAU with the MVP award being renamed the “Nisei California State AA Tournament Bobby Umemoto MVP Award.” Yes, he’s the commissioner but he’s also a very humble man and won’t take all the credit. If you ask him, he only had a small part in getting this together, but everybody knows that he is the heart and soul of NAU baseball.
To quote Bobby, speaking about his relationship to NAU baseball, “It was not so much about winning but about connecting with the community.”
These three men all had an innate ability to connect with kids. All three were humble, caring, positive roles models for youth and connected well with community. They are everyday unsung heroes!
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Bill Yee is a retired Alhambra High School history teacher. He can be reached at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.