With his loving family, wife Donna, daughters Terri Johnson and Holly Sochor, son-in-law Rupert Johnson and grandson Dylan Sochor Johnson at his side, Jim died of complications from Multiple Myeloma on November 24, 2015. Jim was born outside Oklahoma City on his parents farm on February 11, 1938. His family moved to San Francisco in 1941 and he grew up with the streets, parks and beaches of San Francisco as his playground. He was the first four letter athlete at Washington High School and is a member of their Athletic Hall of Fame. He attended San Francisco State University, where he met his future wife Donna, and lettered in three sports and later was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame. His senior year he was selected as the Northern California Intercollegiate Back of the Year and nationally as a Little All American Quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, but instead decided to pursue a masters degree at San Francisco State and coach with his coach and mentor Joe Verducci. Jim and Donna were married on October 20, 1963 in Squaw Valley.

In 1970, Jim was selected to become the head football coach at UC Davis and over the next nineteen seasons the Aggies won eighteen consecutive conference championships and Jim was selected as Conference Coach of the Year sixteen times. His overall coaching record at UC Davis was 156 wins, 41 losses and 5 ties. This was one of the highest percentages of wins in NCAA history and in 1999 he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Jim loved all aspects of his life. He loved his coffee in the morning at Peet's with friends, walking in the UC Davis Arboretum, UC Davis athletic events and the Aggie Band, mentoring young athletes, golf with his buddies and his grandson, Bohemian Club adventures, a day in San Francisco and any place there was a party. He and Donna loved to dance, attend musicals in San Francisco and new movie releases.

Jim was a gentle man who possessed great dignity, humility and wisdom. He gave his family and friends a lifetime of great memories. We are all blessed that he played such an important role in our lives.

A Celebration of Jim's Life will be held at Sochor Field on the UC Davis campus on April 30, 2016. The family suggests that any contributions be made to the Jim Sochor Athletic Fund in the Department of Athletics at UC Davis, 1 Shields Ave. Davis, California 95616.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Dec. 26 to Dec. 27, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Jim Sochor

6 Entries

Derwin Boyd

November 5, 2018

I just learned of Coach Sochor's death. I am in shock! I played for UC Davis from 1978-79. Coach Sochor was always encouraging and supportive. I only wish I could have done more to help the team. May God be with him#GREATNESS..

Vance Strange

July 1, 2017

Mrs Sochor - I am taken aback that I did not know of Jim's death. We played football together for the Les Vogel Chevrolet Power Gliders in the Bay Area Pop Warner Football League. Later we played against each other when Washington played Lowell in all sports. He was my idol as there was 2 years difference in our ages.

We make our home in Arkansas and I did not realize that he had passed on. A role model for me (and many others) he was truly "The Man". Rest in Peace Coach Jim Sochor.

Love and admiration,
Vance M. Strange, Jr.

Shirley Krohn

December 28, 2015

Dear Donna and family. I too was saddened to hear of Jim's death. A truly great person! Jim and I went to school together. All the way back to Kindergarten at Francis Scott Key, on to Cabrillo and Lafayette (we had to be bussed), then to Presidio Jr Hi and Washington. We lived pretty close to each other in the Outer Sunset and would often take long bike rides down the Great Highway. After many years, Jim and I reconnected at the City Sports Hall of Fame events. It was like we just saw each other in High School. Great guy!!! I offer my consolences to you and your family.

December 27, 2015

Dear Donna, I was sorry to read of Jim's death. I remember you both so well from our days at SF State---especially the hours spent in the Redwood Room between classes----seems the years have flown by. My condolences to you and your family. Rose Doonan O'Leary

December 27, 2015

I remember the days playing touch football on the grass up on Great Highway. The Seyler brothers against the Socher brothers, never to be repeated but always remembered. Dave Seyler

Joe Engler

December 27, 2015

The world has lost one of the greatest football coaches it has ever known. Using the gridiron as his canvas, Coach Sochor created an environment where his students learned the power, grace and dignity of peak athletic performance through playing with joy, intelligence and understanding. There are so many former players who, when we get together, share stories of Coach Sochor, lessons learned and the impact that "Aggie Pride" has had upon our lives.

My deepest sympathies for Donna, Terri, Holly and especially Dylan.

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