By Town Crier Staff Report

Avenidas will honor William (Bill) Alhouse of Los Altos, May 20, by presenting him with the 2001 Lifetimes of Achievement Award during their annual reception scheduled for 3-5 p.m. in the Palo Alto home of Nan Mueller. Honorees, who must be at least 70 years old, are chosen for the depth and significance of their work.

Alhouse completed his service in the Navy in 1945. The following year, he enrolled at the University of California at Santa Barbara. After graduation, he moved to Palo Alto where he earned his master’s degree at Stanford University. Alhouse entered the real estate business in Palo Alto in 1950, married his wife Barbara in 1951 and founded his own company, Alhouse Realty, in 1955.

Indicative of the respect he earned from his peers, he was named president of the Palo Alto Board of Realtors and Realtor of the Year in 1963, because of his community involvement. He sold his company in 1990, but continued as a senior consultant in the firm.

Baseball has been a major component in his life, beginning with his high school days in 1939. The school named him to its Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993 for outstanding play in three sports. He played on Navy teams, and had similar success his freshman year at UCSB. He played five years of minor league ball in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ organization.

Alhouse was invited by Stanford basketball/baseball coach Everett Dean to join the coaching staff, a relationship that lasted for 17 years.

He left his solely-owned business for a year to coach baseball in the Netherlands, after which he coached at Gunn High for a year, two seasons at Nevada City (when he heard they had no coach) and finished 50 years of coaching at Menlo School.

He was awarded a special Hall of Fame Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association last year for his incredible 50-year coaching career.

Alhouse threw the opening pitch at Stanford’s first home game this year.

Since 1950, he has played an active role in community projects and organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. He is a continuous supporter of Little League and Babe Ruth baseball.

Alhouse has acquired hundreds of friends across all demographic, social and business lines in the last half-century who would all agree that he easily meets the Lifetimes criterion of distinguished and continuous service to one’s profession and community.

Avenidas is a non-profit agency that has served older adults since 1969. Its mission is to enrich and improve the lives of older adults and their families and advocate for their independence and well-being.