Fidel Arreola, a beloved friend and longtime community college football coach in the San Jose area, passed away on Christmas morning after a several-year battle with liver cancer. He was 59.
Arreola coached football in the area on-and-off for the past 35 years. He was a 1969 graduate of Fremont High School in Sunnyvale and graduated from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington with a degree in Physical Education.
He was born May 18, 1950, in Whittier, Calif., the son of a migrant worker, Fidel Arreola Sr., of Jalisco, Mexico, and Teresa Cortes Arreola of Guachinago, Mexico, both of whom preceded him in death. He moved to Sunnyvale as in infant.
He began his coaching career as the line coach for the frosh-soph team at Sunnyvale High School in 1974, and later was a line coach for the varsity programs at Cupertino High School, Sunnyvale High School and Fremont High School through 1986.
He also coached the line at Foothill Community College for many years, including several championship teams, while working as the equipment and facilities manager. He had also spent many years working at El Camino Hospital.
He also participated in football, wrestling and rugby, and was an avid weight lifter and animal lover, who loved training, hiking, sports, particularly football at all levels of competition, as well as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling. He also studied training methods for many sports. He was a mentor to many high school and community college football players in the area.
Fidel had a way and a special bond with animals. In recent years, he had seven dogs, Jack, Suzy, Sassy, Michael, Lucy, Samantha and Lulu, and two cats, Flurry and Zuma.
He is survived by younger brother [redacted for privacy].
Vigil service will be held on Thurs. 1/7/10 @ 7 p.m. at Cusimano Family Mortuary, 96 El Camino Real W. Mt View. Mass will be held Fri. 1/8/10 @ 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Resurrection, 725 Cascade Av., S'vale. Eulogy service with sharing by family and friends will follow @ 12:00 p.m. at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery Chapel, 490 Lincoln Av. Santa Clara.
Arreola coached football in the area on-and-off for the past 35 years. He was a 1969 graduate of Fremont High School in Sunnyvale and graduated from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington with a degree in Physical Education.
He was born May 18, 1950, in Whittier, Calif., the son of a migrant worker, Fidel Arreola Sr., of Jalisco, Mexico, and Teresa Cortes Arreola of Guachinago, Mexico, both of whom preceded him in death. He moved to Sunnyvale as in infant.
He began his coaching career as the line coach for the frosh-soph team at Sunnyvale High School in 1974, and later was a line coach for the varsity programs at Cupertino High School, Sunnyvale High School and Fremont High School through 1986.
He also coached the line at Foothill Community College for many years, including several championship teams, while working as the equipment and facilities manager. He had also spent many years working at El Camino Hospital.
He also participated in football, wrestling and rugby, and was an avid weight lifter and animal lover, who loved training, hiking, sports, particularly football at all levels of competition, as well as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling. He also studied training methods for many sports. He was a mentor to many high school and community college football players in the area.
Fidel had a way and a special bond with animals. In recent years, he had seven dogs, Jack, Suzy, Sassy, Michael, Lucy, Samantha and Lulu, and two cats, Flurry and Zuma.
He is survived by younger brother [redacted for privacy].
Vigil service will be held on Thurs. 1/7/10 @ 7 p.m. at Cusimano Family Mortuary, 96 El Camino Real W. Mt View. Mass will be held Fri. 1/8/10 @ 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Resurrection, 725 Cascade Av., S'vale. Eulogy service with sharing by family and friends will follow @ 12:00 p.m. at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery Chapel, 490 Lincoln Av. Santa Clara.
Fidel Arreola, a beloved friend and longtime community college football coach in the San Jose area, passed away on Christmas morning after a several-year battle with liver cancer. He was 59.
Arreola coached football in the area on-and-off for the past 35 years. He was a 1969 graduate of Fremont High School in Sunnyvale and graduated from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington with a degree in Physical Education.
He was born May 18, 1950, in Whittier, Calif., the son of a migrant worker, Fidel Arreola Sr., of Jalisco, Mexico, and Teresa Cortes Arreola of Guachinago, Mexico, both of whom preceded him in death. He moved to Sunnyvale as in infant.
He began his coaching career as the line coach for the frosh-soph team at Sunnyvale High School in 1974, and later was a line coach for the varsity programs at Cupertino High School, Sunnyvale High School and Fremont High School through 1986.
He also coached the line at Foothill Community College for many years, including several championship teams, while working as the equipment and facilities manager. He had also spent many years working at El Camino Hospital.
He also participated in football, wrestling and rugby, and was an avid weight lifter and animal lover, who loved training, hiking, sports, particularly football at all levels of competition, as well as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling. He also studied training methods for many sports. He was a mentor to many high school and community college football players in the area.
Fidel had a way and a special bond with animals. In recent years, he had seven dogs, Jack, Suzy, Sassy, Michael, Lucy, Samantha and Lulu, and two cats, Flurry and Zuma.
He is survived by younger brother [redacted for privacy].
Vigil service will be held on Thurs. 1/7/10 @ 7 p.m. at Cusimano Family Mortuary, 96 El Camino Real W. Mt View. Mass will be held Fri. 1/8/10 @ 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Resurrection, 725 Cascade Av., S'vale. Eulogy service with sharing by family and friends will follow @ 12:00 p.m. at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery Chapel, 490 Lincoln Av. Santa Clara.
Arreola coached football in the area on-and-off for the past 35 years. He was a 1969 graduate of Fremont High School in Sunnyvale and graduated from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington with a degree in Physical Education.
He was born May 18, 1950, in Whittier, Calif., the son of a migrant worker, Fidel Arreola Sr., of Jalisco, Mexico, and Teresa Cortes Arreola of Guachinago, Mexico, both of whom preceded him in death. He moved to Sunnyvale as in infant.
He began his coaching career as the line coach for the frosh-soph team at Sunnyvale High School in 1974, and later was a line coach for the varsity programs at Cupertino High School, Sunnyvale High School and Fremont High School through 1986.
He also coached the line at Foothill Community College for many years, including several championship teams, while working as the equipment and facilities manager. He had also spent many years working at El Camino Hospital.
He also participated in football, wrestling and rugby, and was an avid weight lifter and animal lover, who loved training, hiking, sports, particularly football at all levels of competition, as well as mixed martial arts, boxing and wrestling. He also studied training methods for many sports. He was a mentor to many high school and community college football players in the area.
Fidel had a way and a special bond with animals. In recent years, he had seven dogs, Jack, Suzy, Sassy, Michael, Lucy, Samantha and Lulu, and two cats, Flurry and Zuma.
He is survived by younger brother [redacted for privacy].
Vigil service will be held on Thurs. 1/7/10 @ 7 p.m. at Cusimano Family Mortuary, 96 El Camino Real W. Mt View. Mass will be held Fri. 1/8/10 @ 10:30 a.m. at Church of the Resurrection, 725 Cascade Av., S'vale. Eulogy service with sharing by family and friends will follow @ 12:00 p.m. at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery Chapel, 490 Lincoln Av. Santa Clara.
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