Sunday, March 14, 2004 - The gymnasium at Pasadena High School bears Tom Hamilton' s name, a tribute to his success as the Bulldogs' longtime football coach and athletic director.

But Hamilton' s family, friends, colleagues and former players bear the imprint of his giving spirit, which they say remains his true legacy.

Hamilton, a Pasadena resident, died of lung cancer Saturday, a little more than a month shy of his 75th birthday.

" He' d do anything to help you out" recalled Gary Griffiths, an assistant under Hamilton for 13 years who succeeded him as football coach in 1984.

" He won just about everything you can win as far as a high school coach. Yet the concept of the football coach is such a minute part (of who he was). He elevated all the standards.

Hamilton served as head coach at PHS for 24 years. Although his Bulldog teams won more than 100 games and numerous league titles, Hamilton could not recite his record and would not mention any of the many awards bestowed upon him.

When pressed for personal information by newspaper reporters, Hamilton would usually reply: " Don' t write about me, write about the kids ".

He cared nothing about notoriety, publicity or honors. Actually, they embarrassed him.

Although his teams were winners, the outcome of games always seemed secondary to Hamilton. The Pasadena native was a throwback to a bygone era when it truly did matter how you played the game, much more so than whether your team won.

" It' s the end of an era for all of us,' said Griffiths. " He was just the most unforgettable person I' ve ever met. The most principled. I think the thing that sticks most in my mind was his concept of you play by the rules to win. Everything was done the right way. So many other coaches were unscrupulous. He set an example for all of us coaches to follow".

Former Arcadia High School football coach Dick Salter said those qualities endeared Hamilton to his friends and peers in the coaching ranks.

" The coach I respected most was Tom Hamilton,' Salter said. " He had such high integrity. More than anything else he was a great person. He was a person of high character and great motivational skills for his kids".

Humility and ability were Hamilton' s trademarks. Born April 21, 1929, Hamilton attended Washington Elementary School, Washington Junior High, Pasadena High and Pasadena Junior College, said Lynne Emery, Hamilton's partner for the past 38 years.

A talented athlete at PHS and PJC, Emery said Hamilton received a football scholarship to USC following his freshman year at PJC. She said his playing career at USC ended when he suffered a severe concussion.

According to Emery, Hamilton received his degree from USC and also served in the Navy from 1952-54.

Salter said Hamilton was a standout pitcher for PHS and many believed he could have played professional baseball. Hamilton and Salter both played basketball and overhand softball for Larry' s Ice Cream store in Pasadena' s recreational leagues.

According to Emery, Hamilton tried his hand at coaching after his discharge from the Navy.

" He started helping Dick Simmons coach at PHS. He decided he liked coaching and teaching, so he started teaching at Elliot Junior High in 1954. He was an assistant coach (at PHS) until they moved to the new campus in 1960. He became head coach in 1960 and his first year was horrible. Then things got considerably better".

Under Hamilton, PHS became a powerhouse in the 1960s. The Bulldogs remained one of the elite programs in the San Gabriel Valley until he retired from coaching after the 1983 season.

Hamilton' s teams enjoyed particular success against crosstown rival Muir in the Turkey Tussle. Hamilton' s teams were 16-7-1 in the Turkey Tussle, including 12-2 from 1962 to 1975. They won nine straight Turkey Tussles from 1967 to 1975, four by shutout. In that span the Bulldogs outscored the Mustangs 218-48.

" They were always up there,' Salter said of Hamilton' s PHS teams. " If they didn' t win the league, they were very close. They were always in every game. He ran wishbone for a while, he ran an unbalanced line like Michigan State, he ran the veer for a while, the I formation. He would adjust to the personnel he had. When he had a good quarterback he' d run the option.

" That' s why Tom did so well, he utilized his people well. Even if you lost to him you felt good, because he was such a good person".

Griffiths said the Bulldogs put together what seemed like an endless string of Foothill and Pacific League titles.

" When we didn' t win the league title, it was kind of shocking,' Griffiths said. " People would stop us and say ' Why didn' t you pass more?' It wasn't ' Why didn' t you win?''

His PHS teams never won a CIF-Southern Section championship, but the playoffs during Hamilton' s era were much tougher than they are today. There were only four divisions and Pasadena played in the largest. And only league champions qualified for the playoffs during much of Hamilton' s career.

The Bulldogs twice lost in the semifinals of the playoffs, once to Bishop Amat and once to Santa Monica, Griffiths said.

Many of Hamilton' s players went on to play college football and at least five enjoyed careers in the NFL. After retiring from coaching following the 1983 season, Hamilton remained at PHS as athletic director. When he retired from teaching in 1991, PHS named its gymnasium in his honor.

He enjoyed playing golf with Salter and other good friends, even after undergoing knee replacement surgery. Salter said Hamilton also enjoyed woodworking and was a voracious reader.

" His woodwork was unbelievable. He made cribs for his grandchildren, dining room tables, cabinets, bookcases. He was very talented at that,' Salter said. " He was always in the back of his garage working on something. And he always had beautiful flowers. He had a green thumb, too".

Griffiths said Hamilton did not smoke, so his diagnosis of lung cancer about a year ago surprised even his doctors. He went through chemotherapy last summer, but the cancer spread to his other lung.

" He hung in there through a real tough time period," Griffiths said.

In addition to Emery, Hamilton is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Tom Hamilton Jr. and Estelle Langholz, of Hermosa Beach; grandchildren Kali and Ari; brother Jim Hamilton of San Dimas, and sister- in-law Eleanor Hamilton of Pasadena.

Griffiths said Hamilton will be buried at sea. Emery said the family plans a celebration of Hamilton' s life, but details have not been finalized.

-- Steve Hunt can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2504, or by e-mail at steve.hunt@sgvn.com .