By Pete Borello

St. Francis High School is mourning the loss of popular teacher and aquatics coach Steve Yamamoto.

Yamamoto, 53, was found dead in his San Jose condominium Sept. 29. He died of an aneurysm, according to a press release issued by St. Francis.

“It’s a real shock for us,” said St. Francis Athletic Director Tim Houlihan. “He was a terrific guy. He loved the kids and was extremely dedicated.”

A memorial liturgy is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Friday, at the Raskob Center on the St. Francis campus. A Mass celebrating Yamamoto’s life was held at the school last Thursday, a day after St. Francis announced his passing. Campus ministers and guidance counselors have been made available to students, faculty and staff seeking support and grief counseling.

Yamamoto spent 28 years at St. Francis, where he taught math, science and computers, plus coaching swimming and water polo.

“The kids really loved him,” said Joe Schram, who has been the announcer for St. Francis’ home swim meets since Yamamoto arrived on campus. “He was very well thought of — he was a fair coach who gave kids every opportunity to compete.”

Yamamoto came to St. Francis in 1975, hired as a teacher and assistant swim coach. The next year he took over the girls swim team and was the coach ever since. Additionally, he coached the boys swim team from 1987 to 1995.

Yamamoto also founded St. Francis’ boys and girls water polo programs, which he later handed over to other coaches. He ran the girls team from 1996 to 1999, guiding the Lancers to the Central Coast Section finals in his last two years at the helm.

Yamamoto had even greater success coaching the girls swim team. He led the squad to three CCS titles, most recently in 1997.

Yamamoto was twice named a CCS Honor Coach (in 1990 and 1993) and was the California Coaches Association’s Girls Swim Coach of the Year in 1992.

“He was a top-notch coach who was very well organized,” Houlihan said.

Making Yamamoto’s accomplishments even more impressive is the fact he achieved most of them without a pool — at least on school grounds. His teams had to practice and compete off campus until the Holy Cross Aquatics Center opened in 1999, a facility that could be called “The Pool That Steve Yamamoto Built.”

“He was the driving force for many years behind the pool,” Houlihan said. “He did a tremendous job of getting the pool built on campus.”

Yamamoto managed the pool from its inception, a job he relished.

“He was really in his element,” Houlihan said.

Yamamoto’s passion for aquatics began as a youngster. Born in Chicago and raised in Chula Vista (just outside of San Diego), Yamamoto started swimming competitively at age 14 and quickly evolved into a Junior Olympic finalist. As a prep, he qualified for the state finals as a junior and senior at Chula Vista High School. Yamamoto then went on to star at San Diego State University.

After moving to the Bay Area to earn his teaching credential at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, Yamamoto settled in Mountain View and took a job coaching the Mountain View Dolphins swim club in 1974. It proved to be the start of a long and illustrious career as a coach and teacher — one who will be missed by many.

“He was extremely well liked at St. Francis and by all the opposing coaches,” Schram said. “He was a wonderful guy.”

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Steven Yamamoto Memorial Scholarship Fund and sent to St. Francis High School, 1885 Miramonte Ave. Mountain View, CA 94040.