It comes way too often these days. I’m talking about the experience of learning of the passing of good friends and associates. A couple of weeks ago, another good friend advised me that a Ponca City High School sports icon, Steve Larimer, had passed away.

There are many of my acquaintances in the sports world that I would label as being good persons. Steve was one of the better ones.

He always had a pleasant greeting when we would encounter each other, usually at high school games, but occasionally in places like the grocery store. And as long as his health would permit, he was at just about every football or basketball game involving Po-Hi teams. That would include away games, because he often drove the Wildcat teams to the games in his role as bus driver. He was as helpful as could be to me and my sports department cohort Fred Hilton, bringing to the office the latest tennis scores in his years as boys coach.

I learned to affectionately refer to him as “Big Daddy”, not in a disparaging way but because that’s how he was known in the tennis world. One of the postseason tennis awards for Wildcat players is the “Big Daddy Hustle Award.”

Often, I am at a loss of words at times like this, but as a tribute, I would like to reprint a column that appeared in the News on Feb. 24, 2016.

- It has been several years now, but while visiting with a grandparent at a Ponca City Wildcats baseball game somehow the topic of Steve Larimer came up.

I have known Steve for a long time, but I am sure he won’t remember the first time our paths crossed. We were at a local restaurant and had just gone through the buffet line. I looked at the Ponca City Wildcats shirt he was wearing and I asked him, “Are you a coach here?” I had just moved to town and didn’t know any of the coaches. Something about his appearance suggested to me that he might be one.

“Yes I am,” was his response. “What do you coach?” I asked. “A little bit of everything,” he replied. “But right now I am coaching eighth (or maybe ninth, my memory isn’t that exact) grade football.”

That was the extent of our conversation then, but I have had plenty of opportunities to get to know him since.

Back to the conversation I had with the baseball grandparent: “You ought to do a column on Steve,” he said. “He has been coaching forever and the kids still love him. They call him ‘Big Daddy’ which is a term of affection. And he can still play tennis. The kids think that he would be easy to beat on the tennis court, but if they can get him to play, he’ll show them how it is done.”

I agreed that a column on Steve might be appropriate and he and I got together one afternoon to start work on it. The interview was cut short and we agreed to get back together to finish what we had started. That never happened and once in a while when we would see each other we’d say something to the effect of “We need to get together again.”

A couple of weeks ago, while at a Wildcat basketball game, Steve told me that he and the late Wally Smith, another Ponca City tennis icon, had been voted into the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame. They were part of the initial Hall of Fame class of 12 that would officially inducted.

That induction has come and gone and I asked Steve to come in and finish what we had started several years ago.

First of all, there is his resume, which is glittering.

He coached Ponca City athletic teams for 44 years. He started out as coach of East Junior High boys and girls tennis teams in 1961. During his tenure there, he led his teams to a number of state championships and runners-up finishes. He became the head boys coach at Ponca City High School in 1979 and served in that role until 2006. He taught math along with his coaching duties.

After retiring from active teaching, he continued to help with the tennis program, of which his son, Brad, serves as head boys coach today.

He also was involved in coaching eighth and/or ninth grade football and basketball teams for many years. which he continued for a few years after his retirement. And he drove a school bus, often drawing the assignment of driving sports teams to games up until just a few years ago.

In other words, he has had a lifetime of commitment to youngsters in Ponca City.

On a professional level, he has served as president of the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Association and served on the group’s advisory board. He was named OTCA boys Coach of the Year in 2000 and the Oklahoma Coaches Association Coach of the Year twice, in 1987 and 1988. He served as the East Region All-State games coach in 1991.

His association with sports goes way back. His parents, Jeff and Nadine Larimer, moved to a house on South Elm when Steve was four.

“We lived two or three blocks north of the Conoco gym. So I grew up as a gym rat. I played football, basketball and baseball all year around. I started playing tennis in seventh grade which was Wally Smith’s second year in Ponca City.

“I participated in summer baseball. For me one of the easiest things to do in sports was to hit a baseball. I batted in the .600s a couple of years. Earl Sullins was the high school football and baseball coach back then and he told my Dad that I should go out for baseball. Dad was a quiet-spoken guy and he simply said, ‘He likes that tennis.’” Steve remembers playing baseball with the likes of Lu Clinton, who was a couple of years older and who went on to play baseball at the Major League level.

Steve competed on the Po-Hi basketball and football teams, but tennis was his first love.

“I played my best tennis in my eighth grade through high school years,” he said.

He earned a scholarship to play tennis at East Texas State in Commerce where he competed for four years.

He was recruited by the East Texas tennis coach Dr. Perry Broom, who was also a member of the business department.

“We called him Dr. Sweep,” Steve said.

At East Texas, his team competed against schools like Louisiana Tech, McNeese State and Lamar.

“Lamar was the kingpin of our conference,” he said.

The East Texas tennis team also competed against Southwest Conference teams like TCU and Baylor.

“The University of Texas had the best team,” he said. At East Texas he encountered his first international tennis players, some of which came from South Africa.

A highlight of his career was defeating the University of Colorado, which was the Big Eight Conference champion.

“I played No. 1 tennis for East Texas my senior year and had a record of 18-10, which isn’t too bad,” he said.

Coming back to Ponca City he credits much of the tennis success that was experienced here over the years to, of course, Wally Smith. But he also credits Ralph Lester, who he said was the instigator of getting Wally involved.

“The tennis programs at the Country Club helped, but with Ralph Lester was where it started.

The Ponca City High School teams didn’t win state titles during Steve’s years as head coach, but they often came in third. That was because Edmond, which had only one high school and Jenks dominated the Oklahoma high school tennis scene.

Steve Larimer feels that tennis is a sport that could help athletes in other sports.

“Give me an athlete and I’ll teach him or her to play tennis. I would love to see more football and basketball players play tennis at a young age.

“The footwork necessary to play good tennis is also important for football and basketball players to learn. I really think it would help a football or basketball player to learn to play tennis.”

He is a family man who is very proud of his family’s accomplishments.

His sons, Brad and Mike were tennis players in high school and now are teaching tennis, Brad in Ponca City and Mike in Claremore. His daughter, Stephanie, didn’t play tennis in high school and Steve regrets that.

“The dumbest thing I ever did was not to put a tennis racket in her hands,” he said.

He also paid tribute to his late wife, Ginger, the former Ginger Gough of Blackwell.

“I officiated football and basketball and was gone most of the nights of the week. Meanwhile she had three little kids to take care of. She was one tough gal. She never complained. She was the glue of the whole operation.”

After the family was reared, Ginger worked away from the home, including 18 years in the engineering department at Conoco before her death in 1999.

His cohorts in Ponca City hold him in high regard.

“That guy is very much a Wildcat,” said Jerry Runyan, who was athletic director for many years at Po-Hi.

“He had a tremendous tennis background, including being a very good college player. He worked very well with Wally Smith when he came to Ponca City. He could relate very well to kids and was a favorite of kids who played tennis. He had an ability to work within our athletic program. I think the world of the guy and admire his commitment to the program. He is very deserving of his award (Hall of Fame induction). Just ask people around the state.”

The interview with Steve produced much more material than would fit on this page. He suggested, and I agree, that Wally Smith would be a good subject for a future piece.

Even though he is retired now and doesn’t get out on the tennis court these days, Steve Larimer’s creative juices haven’t stopped flowing.

“I’m writing a book,” he said. “About continuity basketball. I have these ideas I want to get out.”

I hope he publishes his book. It should be worth another column.