William "Bill" Inderbitzen

William "Bill" Inderbitzen passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, February 1, 2024 at the age of 85. Bill was born on May 6, 1938, in Gilroy to parents Joseph and Mary Inderbitzen. Bill grew up on the family farm on Crows Landing Road and attended Westport Elementary. In the 6th grade, he started to play baseball as a short stop for the Bee/Kbee Little League. Some of the memorable accomplishments were two years of League Championships and chosen as the MVP. While attending Ceres High School he played basketball, was active in student body serving as the Sr. Class President, played the clarinet in the school band, and continued to play baseball on the varsity team for 4 years earning a Block C. Bill made the Bee/Kbee All Star Team, four years in a row, played in the San Francisco All Star Game and was the runner up MVP. The team also won the Valley Oak League Championship. After graduation, he attended Modesto Junior College majoring in math and played baseball where they took 2nd and 3rd place in the state for Northern California. Bill was recruited to play baseball for San Jose State and received a B.A. in Physical Education. The baseball team clinched the All Coast Baseball Championship and Big 8 Conference Champs. He made the All Conference First Team and MVP for the California Intercollege Baseball Association with a final.307 batting average and 17 RBI's. Professional scouts took notice which lead to an offer to play professional baseball for the first Pacific Coast League which was the start of professional baseball on the west coast. The annual salary was lower than a teaching salary so he chose to pursue his teaching credential from Stanislaus State. After his collegiate baseball career came to a close, he began to play fast pitch softball for the Merced Monarchs where they made it to the Softball World Tournament in New York. The following year the team won the Softball World Tournament held in Florida.
Bill began his teaching career of 37 years in 1961, teaching 6th grade in Waterford and coaching after school sports. Next he took a job in LeGrand as a high school teacher and coached football and tennis for a couple years and then spent the last 30 years of his teaching career at Hilmar High School where he taught World History, Drivers Education, and Physical Education.
Bill was the first coach honored by the Hilmar High School Hall of Fame for coaching Varsity Baseball from 1968 to 1991. During this time, "Wild Bill", won 6 Championships, 7 runners-up and finished in the top three in league 18 out of those 24 years. Bill was chosen as "Coach of the Year" 7 times during his coaching career at Hilmar, and finished with 309 total wins. In addition to his coaching duties, he was also the Athletic Director for 25 years, and was named Athletic Director of the Year in 1996. In 2005 until present he served as the Commissioner of the Trans-Valley League.
Throughout Bill's life, he was an avid fisherman, hunter, reader, photographer, bird enthusiast, master gardener/rose whisperer, and connoisseur of jokes. He loved traveling with friends and family, attending his grandchildren's school/sporting events and recitals, watching the A's and Giants games or volunteering his time with the Hilmar-Irwin-Stevinson Lions Club where he was a member for 48 years.
Bill is survived by his wife of 43 years, Jolene Inderbitzen; children Lee Ann (Rob) Wrinn, Michael (Janel) Inderbitzen, Darren Stavrianoudakis; and his grandchildren: Neely, Zachary, Adam, Luke, Jack, Kayla and Branden. Bill is now reunited with his parents Joseph and Mary Inderbitzen, sister Francis Inderbitzen and stepdaughter Dana Stavrianoudakis.
A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, February 13 at 12:30 pm at the Hilmar Grange Hall (8188 Lander Avenue, Hilmar, CA).
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hilmar-Irwin-Stevinson Lions Club in memory of Bill Inderbitzen (PO Box 416, Hilmar, CA 95324).