David W. Grosz

David William Grosz passed away Thursday, September 20, 2018, in Templeton, California, after a long illness. He was 80 years old. He was born in Auburn, N.Y., on August 24, 1938, to John and Margaret Grosz. He attended Kent Meridian High School in Kent, Washington, where he was a three-sport athlete and earned nine varsity letters. Though he excelled at baseball and basketball, football was his first choice. In addition to his athletic accolades, he was also an Eagle Scout. Dave attended the University of Oregon where he was a three-year starter at quarterback. He was a first-team All-Coast selection in 1960, a member of the 1958 Rose Bowl team and led the Ducks in the 1960 Liberty Bowl. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1961 in Physical Education, and his Master of Science degree in Physical Education, also from Oregon, in 1965. While attending University of Oregon, he met and married the love of his life, Patti Nichols. They were married 55 years until Patti's death in 2015. They had many wonderful memories of their time at Oregon and remained friends with many of his teammates throughout the years. After graduating from Oregon, Dave was drafted in the 13th round by the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders, but elected to play in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. After three seasons in the Canadian football league, he left the league and began his coaching and teaching career at Hoquiam High School in Hoquiam, Washington. In 1967, he was hired by Cal Poly to coach the offensive backfield. He coached the quarterbacks and running backs and was promoted to offensive coordinator in the mid-1970s until his retirement from football in 1986. He continued to teach physical education classes at Cal Poly for two more years. All three of his children graduated from Cal Poly. While Dave loved coaching, what brought him the most joy was mentoring his players and offering friendship and guidance. He was a very humble man and a man of true integrity. He and Patti were known to often host Monday night dinners for the players and opened their home to all. Following his coaching and teaching stints at Cal Poly, Grosz started his construction company, Dave Grosz Construction, in 1988 and ran the company until his retirement in 2016. He is survived by his three children: Mark (Mia), Wendy (Andy) and Adam (Stacey); his sisters: Sue Grosz and Betty Lou Buttkus; as well as, six grandchildren: Kiersten, Taylor, Shannon, Hanna, Aidan and Jaden; and two great-grandchildren: Emma and Sofia. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.