- Date Of Birth: February 13, 1936
- Date Of Death: June 13, 2015
- State: California
Stanley Dene Hillygus, born in Yerington, Nevada, passed away at the age of 79 on June 13, 2015, in San Luis Obispo surrounded by people who loved him dearly. Dene was an avid outdoorsman and golfer. He gained his interest and passion for golf from an early age, before he was even of age to own his own vehicle, and found rides to local golf courses wherever he was living: Paso Robles, Templeton, and Jackson, California to Yerington, Nevada. His favorite golf course was one he played frequently for the last 50+ years… Kern County’s own Buena Vista Golf Course (playing “4 days a week” was Dene’s standard claim as soon as he was in retirement). During his high school and college years, Dene served as quarterback on several championship football teams, as well as lettered in baseball, tennis, and various other sports. He landed a dual football/baseball scholarship, but after suffering from numerous concussions as a quarterback (that’s right, as a quarterback!), Dene decided not to take the offer. After working his way through college and earning a Biological Science degree from Long Beach State University, Dene was hired by Taft College. He served as an instructor of biology, math, chemistry, health education, recreation, and numerous other outdoor classes as well as a coach for numerous sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and tennis. Dene was known as a great mentor, storyteller, and friend to many during his 38.5 (he always noted that additional half) years at Taft College. After experiencing retirement, he proclaimed he was “born to be retired.” He possessed the ability to build lifelong relationships with people and those relationships continue to this day across continents.
