Coach Bob Pease Passes Away At 82 After A Long Career In Aquatics

09/16/2024 07:53 PM

By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam

Coach Bob Pease died at his home in Sequim, Washington last month at 82 years old. Throughout his decades-long career as a coach, Pease worked with swimmers on clubs, high school teams, and university programs.

He learned to swim as a child but became a serious swimmer during high school in Bay City, Michigan, where he trained under coach Bill Stetson. The team practiced out of a twenty-yard pool and by junior year, Pease was a team captain and part of the school record-holding 4×100 freestyle relay team. Pease attended Wittenberg University, a Division III school, on a full scholarship.

After earning his MIS in physical education-coaching option at the University of Central Missouri, Pease coached at both the University of Missouri-Rolla and the local high school. The University program quickly found success when Pease took over as the head coach. In his first season on the job, Rick Marshall earned the program's first All-America honors, finishing fourth in the 100 breast at the NCAA Division II Championships.

As Pease gained more experience in the head coach role, the Miners continued to achieve new heights. In his second year, the team placed second at the MIAA conference championships—its highest finish in program history—while Marshall took All-American honors again. After three seasons finishing second in the conference, the team won their first conference crown in 1974. That began a run of six straight conference titles for the team. Pease also led the team to five more 2nd place finishes and three top-ten finishes at the NCAA Championships.

The Pease family made stops in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and Los Alamos, New Mexico before arriving in Washington state. In all three places, Pease was involved in aquatics whether he was managing the Philips Petroleum Aquatic Center in Oklahoma or coaching the Los Alamos High School team.

In Washington, Pease coached the Evergreen State College club team, and the Olympic High School team, and began an age group club.

Pease supported the founding of the local Sequim, Washington YMCA. Never far from the pool, he was one of its first members when it opened in 2016 and he swam there three days a week until his death. He is survived by three children, seven grandchildren, and his sister.

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