John Harrison Rudolph

John Harrison Rudolph, longtime Laguna

resident, high school basketball coach, teacher,

builder and inventor, died March 18, 2010. He was

87 years old. He was born in Atchison, Kansas,

and as a boy embraced the outdoor life of sports,

hunting and summers fishing in Minnesota. He

attended Maryville Teachers College to pursue art

and basketball and after seeing combat in Europe

and participating in the occupation of Japan

following WWII, he returned to school at Missouri

and later, Kansas St. John first visited Laguna

Beach while stationed at Camp Callan during the

war and in 1950, returned with his wife and son

to begin teaching art, mechanical drawing, and

driver’s education at Laguna Beach High School .

He also was the varsity Basketball coach, leading

the team to the 1953 C.I.F. championship. After

teaching, John became a general contractor in

Laguna, designing, building and remodeling many

homes and providing his friends with 45 years of

knowledge and know-how. After retirement, John

wrote memoirs and developed inventions, he still

holds several patents, with fishing lures being

his passion. He is survived by his sister Harriet

Falter of Lincoln, Nebraska, his ex-wife Barbara

Joan Rudolph of Santa Rosa Ca., sons Rodney and

David, both of Laguna, daughters Bobo Wroe of

Stanton Tx., Amy Klennert of Vancouver Wash.,

Julie Combs of Santa Rosa, 13 grandchildren, and

4 great grandchildren. A celebration of John’s life

will be announced soon.