Jerome C. Culver

Coach

Coach Culver, you were simply the best. A great leader of men in every way! Thanks to his family for sharing him with us.

Coach Culver was a great guy. He had a quiet sense of humility and strength about him. I came over from Glennon Hs when it closed to the boys, so I only had two years with coach . My only regret was I didn’t play football for him Hope I see him again someday

I played with Jerry at St. Benedict's and he was an outstanding lineman. We coached against each other in high school football and he always had aggressive well-coached teams. He was good person and I was always glad to visit with him.

I hitched a ride to high school with the coach in his cold little Volkswagen but it sure beat taking a one hour city bus ride- good man.

It was an honor to play for Mr. Culver in the early 60s at De La Salle. He truly helped turn boys into men by his discipline, integrity, and, yes, his humor---tackle that guy LOW--he's
as big as a "potato chip machine!" An inspiration to all and we all miss him. Rest in Peace.

Bob Meller '64, Shalimar, Fl

My prayers are with Coach Culver and his family. He was a great and inspiring Coach and mentor.

God bless the Culvers and thank you for loaning Coach Culver to all the young men he coached. His smile was infectious. His coaching was superb. His love of God and family was a good example to us all. He brought out the best in you and inspired you to do things you did think possible. He was a great teacher, counselor and friend, a second father to many of us. He and coach Davis kept me out of jail. I will always be grateful to Coach Culver for lessons in life learned that I try to pass along to kids I have coached. He was one helluva man who will not be forgotten. God Bless and Slainte, Coach and family. Love, Kevin Regan and family

Jerry was a great example for his students. Great coach, even better teacher and counselor, and above all, great person. We need more like him !
Dick Bueker

Great coach, better teacher and still better person.

Dick Bueker

Jerry was always great to be around with his classic stories. We will be missed, but I think they are starting the kick off in Heaven....

God bless the Culver s and thank you for loaning Coach Culver to all the young men he coached. His smile was infectious. His coaching was superb. His love of God and family was a good example to us all. He brought out the best in you and inspired you to do things you did think possible. He was a great teacher, counselor and friend, a second father to many of us. He and coach Davis kept me out of jail. I will always be grateful to Coach Culver for lessons in life learned that I try to pass along to kids I have coached. He was one helluva man who will mot be forgotten. God Bless and Slainte, Coach and family. Love, Kevin Regan and family

God bless the Culver s and thank you for loaning Coach Culver to all the young men he coached. His smile was infectious. His coaching was superb. His love of God and family was a good example to us all. He brought out the best in you and inspired you to do things you did think possible. He was a great teacher, counselor and friend, a second father to many of us. He and coach Davis kept me out of jail. I will always be grateful to Coach Culver for lessons in life learned that I try to pass along to kids I have coached. He was one helluva man who will mot be forgotten. God Bless and Slainte, Coach and family. Love, Kevin Regan and family

I am so sorry for your loss. Sending prayers and love to all of you.

Dear Culver Family,
Jerry was a fellow teacher at Center High School. Our subject matter was different. His was athletics. Mine was music. However, music and football combined forces on Friday nights to make the Blue and Gold come to life! A famous coach once said, "Giving your all, it seems to me, to be not far from victory!" Jerry gave it his all. He was victorious!! Don Shaffer

To the Culver family, my thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. I was a player for coach Culver at DeLaSalle in the 70's. I also remember the bus rides to games reciting the Rosary and then silence. Although one time there was some conversation whispering on the bus in reference to Coach Culvers recognition in some sort and he gave the stare of "Coach Culver". Good thing we one the game!

RIP Coach Culver! You were the best coach I ever had. You were not just a coach but an instructor. Your defensive line adjustments in the State Championship game in 1971 was the reason we were able to prevail over St. Louis Beaumont. It is evident you touched many lives. Life well lived!!

Coach Culver,
you made a difference In my life RIP.Tell big Al hello(smiles)

Cecil'MAGIC"Stockdale

Dear Patty, and the entire Culver extended Family,

I humbly regret hearing the news of your father's passing. Thank you so very much for allowing me to spend time with your dad and wonderful mother, Barbra, in their home over past years. Also, for allowing myself along with one of his former players take him to a Benedictine College football game, 3 years ago. Benedictine's Head Football Coach, Larry Wilcox, and staff truly admired your dad and always enjoyed seeing him.

Your father meant so much to me throughout our long friendship, but especially as a fresh out of college 1st year assistant coach and teacher at Bishop Ward. A true mentor, not just to the players on the team, but for the lucky ones like myself who had the chance coached with him, under his guidance and leadership. I know he loved his family dearly, along with those he taught, coached and counseled.

Patty and family, over the years I cannot begin to count the number of individuals your dad/grandfather had a very positive and profound influence upon. Starting with classmates of his I met from St. Benedict's college, former De La Salle players/students form my brother-in-law era, all of my Rockhurst High friends & connections, to his couple years at Bishop Ward, and even some of his student/athletes I recruited from Center High School. All of which were either one of his former students, football players, colleagues, or administrators. Throughout the years and even to this day, so so many individuals talk about your father with praise and admiration.

Simply said, they all looked up to and loved Jerry "Coach" Culver, and he loved them back. And, in the end that is all that really counts "Love"! Jerome "Jerry" Culver was one the great examples of what Jesus Christ ask of all of us, "Love thy Neighbor as thy Self"

Patty, you and the entire Culver extended family are in my thoughts and prayers. Also, it may comforting to know that so many other people that your dad and/or grandfather greatly impacted and positively touch their lives, (many of which you or your family may have never have known personally), are also praying for your mom & family during this difficult time.

The entire Kansas City area, and beyond, lost a "Remarkable" man!

God Bless! Your in Christ,

He was my uncle, my teacher and my track coach at Rockhurst. I will never forget him yelling at me to "get my knees up" when I was trying to win a race and he could see me falling behind. He was an inspiration, a positive force, a coach with a steady hand and strong and good heart, and one of those rare people you meet in life who was truthful, patient, real and made a difference in my life and literally dozens of others. I hope he knew that. Bye Uncle Jerry, Mr. Culver, Coach. You were the finest example of a great man.

Dear Patty, Barbra and the entire Culver extended Family,

I humbly regret to here of the news of your father's, husband and grandfather's passing. Patty, thank you so much for allowing me to spend time with him and your wonderful mother, over the past 3 to 4 years. And, allowing myself and a former player of his to take him up to a Benedictine College football three years ago.

Your Dad meant so much to me as a first year assistant coach and teacher at Bishop Ward. He was a true mentor of young men, not just the players, but to so many of us, who coached with him or under his guidance and leadership. Over the years, I cannot begin to count the number individuals, ex-players, students, colleagues, that your father, Jerry Culver, had a extremely positive and profound influence upon. I hear many of the same sentiments from De La Salle ex-players/students of my brother-in-laws era, from many of my friends and connections from Rockhurst High & Benedictine College, to the Bishop Ward High era, who to this day continually talk about your father with praise and admiration.

Simply said, they all looked up to and loved Jerry "Coach" Culver. And, he loved them back. And, in the end that is what really counts "Love". Jerome "Jerry" Culver was a great example of what Jesus said "Love thy Neighbor as thy Self" You and your entire family and friends are in my thoughts prayers, but also many, many other people that your Dad touched and greatly impacted their lives (so many of which you or your family may have never known in person), they too are praying for your family during this difficult time.

The entire Kansas City area lost a "Remarkable" man!

Yours in Christ

Coach Culver was a great coach and even a better man. The Kansas City community lost a legend. God Bless the Culver Family!

Coach Culver what a tremendous positive role model for all of us in the coaching profession in the K.C. Metro. He and the football programs he touched were CLASS at all times.

Harold Wambsgans Lee's Summit Mo.

I was so sad to hear of Jerry's passing. Then, all of these wonderful memories came to mind and I smiled. I feel honored to have met and get to know both Jerry and Barbara. When I met them I felt this warmth and saw true love between them. I so enjoyed going for rides with Jerry and eating ice cream cones. You will be missed dear man. Much love to the Culver family.

Very sad news tonight when i found out about Coach Culver's passing. How amazing that 4 years in high school both in class and on the football field listening and learning from him has molded some of my worldview. I still hear his voice in my head from time to time when something requires good old horse sense and hard work. His gift of coaching up average players is well known and the love his players had for him is without question. WE will miss you dearly coach. Thank you for caring enough to share a bit of your wisdom with us.

So sad to hear the news of Coach Culver. He just had that way of making you have fun and give all you had at practice or game time.. so glad He came to Ward. Learned a lot from him. Thoughts and Prayers to his Family.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Culver family. I feel blessed for having known this special man during my lifetime. He was a teacher of mine at Rockhurst (Class of '77)and I had the pleasure of being a friend of his children away from school. I have nothing but good memories of this special man/father/teacher/coach. He was a true man's man and role model. God bless "Big Red"

To my dear friends, Carolyn & Randy Eubank & family, my sincere prayers for you. I know how much you will miss him. I pray his memories will keep you warm until you meet him in heaven.

Sorry for your loss and our prayers are with you.

Jerry and I graduated and played football together at DeLaSalle. He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
John Jamison, DeLaSalle, Class of 1950

R.I.P. Mr. Culver. You truly made boys into men. Thanks for the memories.

Coach Culver ---You were a great coach and a better Human Being You were like another father to most of us guys--- God bless you and keep you forever and may God take care of your family and give them comfort till you meet again in paradise.

My condolences go out to the entire Culver family. I had the chance to play for "Coach" my senior year at Center High school and it was an extremely rewarding experience. While teaching us how to play football he somehow would sneak in life lessons that I still reflect back to on this day. He didn't ask for our respect, he never demanded it, but he somehow warranted it in a way that his players would naturally do just about anything for him. I always said he could coach anybody at any level and make them feel like a winner no matter what the situation was. He was that good of a football coach, he was that good of a leader. With that said he was even a better teacher of life lessons. Little did we know at the time that these lessons would later become our realities in our everyday lives. What a great man that I will forever be in debt to because of his leadership and teaching abilities. May God bless all of you.

I have such great memories of Coach Culver. He was a an outstanding coach and we were a football family. He was such a positive influence in my life and I will remember him always.

MR.Culver: you were such a great person,teacher and coach. Our time at DeLaSalle with you will never be forgotton.
May God Bless you and your family.
Joe & Cathy DiGirolamo
Naples Fl.

Barbara and family,
Please accept my prayers and condolences upon learning of Jerry's death. I enjoyed working with Jerry at Rockhurst High School!
God bless all of you.
Fr. Chris Pinne', S.J.

To the Culver Family,
I am so sorry for your loss Coach was a good Coach and even a better person. I have very fond memories of him on and off the field. I remember he would say he had no traffic crossing the soccer field to work. Just one of the gems he often say to us in class.
At times like this I like to recall the Irish Blessing "May God hold him in the palm of his hand until you meet again..."

Coach Culver was my coach at DLS and he also coached my sons at RHS. It was always fun to compare Coach Culver stories around the dinner table. What I remember most was the bus rides to away games (all our games were away) and we always said the rosary and stayed in complete silence until we arrived at the field. Coach Culver was a great man a great coach and fearless competitor. God Bless him and his family.

Coach Culver made a big impression on me while at Rockhurst (1973-1977) on the football field and in classroom because there was no BS coming from him. His straight shooting style and toughness are traits that I like in people and especially teachers and coaches. His advice on where to play in college paid off enormously for me. What a great man that we were lucky to have had in our lives. I am out of town for the wake and funeral but he and his family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for all the great years Coach!

Kelly Rudolph(Class of 1977)

I will always remember Coach Culver as great coach and teacher

i was fortunate to have jerry as my football coach,basketball,and track coach,he was a great teacher,and friend, jerry will be missed my prayers are with his family patrick ryan

We were all lucky and blessed to know Jerry Culver. Humor, wit, dedication, intensity and caring for others were a few of his attributes. I'll miss Coach Culver...a great man!

He was the greatest coach and teacher ever!!!
so glad I got to visit with you at brookdale. Get a football team going up in heaven that will use a hawklet for its mascot.
Don and Kathy Knopke

So sad, but heaven is a much better place for sure. He will be missed. He coached my brother and his friends. Maybe Bill Flaherty will be a greeter in heaven!

Having had the opportunity to have played for Coach Culver at De La Salle during the sixities was a privilege. Coach was a tremendous influence on all of us and we are better people for having experienced his discipline, fairness, kindness and instilling in each of us that we could accomplish anything. His approach to coaching was second to none and he demanded that each of us become not only better football players but better people.
He will be missed but he memories will be with each of us forever. Playing for Coach Culver was an honor. The stories could fill a book and each one of us have our own special memories.
Thanks Coach and thanks to his family for sharing him with us.
God Bless. Ernie Wasmer DLS Class of 64

Great coach, great teacher, great man. Thanks!

I was sad hear Jerry die.He was a nice guy. say hi to me center Sr high school saw me.

I am saddened to learn of Coach Culver's passing. As a 16-year-old, he made quite an impression on me, and I don't think that a week goes by that I don't still hear his voice in my head about something or other. Little did we know that while Coach was teaching us how to play football, he was really preparing us for our lives as adults if we were paying attention. While I was a sub-par football player - despite Coach's best efforts - any success that I have enjoyed in life I am certain was in large part due to his lessons in discipline, hard work, preparation and teamwork that stayed with me long after my days on the football field came to an end. I was fortunate to run into Coach on several occasions as an adult and had teh opportunity to let him know how much I appreciated the lessons he imparted. I'm glad I did, and I hope that he knew that he had the gratitude and respect of many of his former students and athletes. Coach left the world a better place than he found it. My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.