Rick Milam 1944-2010

Sent: Wed, Aug 25, 2010 7:21 pm
Subject: RICK MILAM (1944-2010)


Hello Everyone,
I am sure that you have heard about Rick Milam by now. He passed on at 8:30pm Monday night, August 23, 2010. Rick gave so much to all of us for over 45 years. He was battling cancer over the last 8 months, but he remained active, working at all track meets, going to work for at least half a day each day, attending Chamber of Commerce meetings, keeping in contact with everyone, and still helping people all over. We have not yet set the services for Rick. We are trying to get the Gym at Los Gatos High School for Sunday, Sept. 19th, but will get back to everyone on this email list to confirm this. I am getting calls, emails on when it is, so I will follow up with everyone to confirm that this will be the date.


Rick was my co-meet director for over 32 years at the CCS Top 8 Track Classic, CCS F/S Track Classic, all the summer and winter all-comer track meets every year, coached at Homestead H.S. during the 1970's, worked at the Olympic Trials, National Championshiips, NCAA Championships, State High School Championships, Pac 10 Championships, was the meet director of the World Senior Games, all being the finest USATF official.


32 years ago, I asked Rick to help me put on a track meet at Los Gatos (the F/S Classic). I told him just do this one meet to see how it goes. Then here we were, 32 years later, Rick has worked them all with me. I told him the last 10 years, that when he stops working the meets, I am done also, but now, I have to carry it on, for his name and for all he has touched, and for all he has done for our sport, for our kids, and for all our programs. He was very organized, knew the rules well, worked tirelessly to do things the right way, and felt proud to put on great meets for everyone in CCS. I loved to work with him, for we always had the same attitude in doing the best job we could together to put on the best meets in the section. He set the example for me. No one had All-Comer meets like us, and people always told Rick and I, that the CCS Top 8 Track Classic was the best meet in the section. He was very proud of all this.


Rick was working at the San Jose State meets back in the early 1970's, when I was competing there on Bud Winter field, just after the John Carlos, Tommy Smith, Lee Evans speed city days. Then Rick worked at the Bruce Jenner Classic meets in the late 1970's and 1980's at San Jose CIty College. He worked at the Stanford meets every year, the Los Gatos High School Dual meets every year, the West Valley Relays every year, League Finals every year, the CCS Finals every year, etc. He was well liked by every official and every athlete. Meet directors were then asking him to help them every year. Rick never said no to anyone. I kept telling him, you can't help everyone, and you shouldn't work at every meet. He started to cut back only in the last few years, but always loved to help people who asked him. It wasn't track so much that he loved, he loved the people, the kids, and the opportunity to help such great people. Special people like Steve Filios, Dick Connors, Bob Hughey, Andy Anderson, Joy Margerum, Mike Dudley, Leroy Milam, Terry Ward, Roger Adams, Tom Newman, Keith Conning, Doug Speck, J.R., Monica Townsend, Marty Krulee, Danny Moon, Jerry Rose, Mike Buncic, Bruce Olgivie, Mark McConnel, to name just a few.


Rick was family to me. He taught me many things about coaching, especially how to get my athletes to maximize there efforts at Crystal Springs in the race strategy. He always used the common sense approach to everything. The 18 CCS Titles for Los Gatos at Crystal Springs confirms his philosophy worked, which I keep a secret. I always told him that he was a big part of those championships!
Rick treated everyone like family. The track world was his family. He had the best Cross Country team in the Nation while coaching at Homestead back around 1976. His 5th man on that team was a 9:25 2 miler. He once had 5 boys triple jumpers over 47 feet at the same time. He always had great pole vaulters, hurdlers, and winning teams at Homestead back then.


He will be remembered by so many people. He had such a great heart, and cared deeply for all of us. We are so lucky to have had him in our lives. I feel so lucky to have known him, to have shared with him. I will miss having coffee with him every Sunday morning, will miss doing business with him, miss doing track meets with him, will miss laughing with him (like Fred Norris stories), will miss his friendship everyday.
Whenever we all will be at the Los Gatos High School track from now on, he will be in our hearts, our minds, and our spirit. Thank you Rick,
for everything! You were one special guy!


Willie Harmatz