J.C. Cole ’51

Darryl Cole, widow of J. C. Cole, Class of 1951, donated his yearbooks to Tech and shared these observations and memories. J.C. was very active in his years at Tech, serving as Traffic Commissioner (head of the patrols that made sure students didn’t run in the halls and went up the “Up” staircases and down the “Down” staircases), playing on the varsity baseball and football teams, participating in the Hi-Y Club, helping plan the senior ball, and singing in the graduation chorus.

The inscriptions of his classmates attest to his popularity: the boys comment on his sports prowess and the girls on his good looks and pleasant demeanor. Darryl says that he always talked of his Tech years with fondness. He told her that the “ball field” just dirt with a lot of broken glass in it! After graduation, he attended Santa Rosa Junior College and played on its football team, but received a brain concussion and was forced to quit playing. He ended up leaving school to help take care of his mom, who was dying of colon cancer.

Unfortunately, after she passed away, he received a notice from everyone’s FAVORITE UNCLE and ended up in Korea. He was unable to go back to school. He was not very good at keeping in touch with high school friends. They attended Darryl’s 30th high school reunion from Punahou in Honolulu, and ended going to Maui every year after that as long as he was able. He loved Hawaii. J. C. died in September of 2012.