The Northern California Skippers Club would like to dedicate this page to our beloved members and cherished friends.
Gary Oldenburg, known for his unwavering commitment to his family and friends, and his passion for sports and the outdoors, passed away peacefully in his home with his wife, Nancy, on January 28, 2021.
Born in Clovis, California on April 2, 1938, Gary Lee Oldenburg was the only child of Pauline and Earl Oldenburg. In his early life, Gary enjoyed spending time on the family farm and dreamt of playing Major League Baseball while listening to stories about his uncle, Tony Freitas, a Major League pitcher remembered for striking out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in the same inning. On that farm, Gary helped his Uncle with chores, cared for the pigs, chickens, cattle, and talked to his uncle about life in the big leagues. It seeded in him a strong work ethic, a passion for sports, and a love for the outdoors that continued to blossom throughout his life.
When Gary was only six years old his father passed, and he and his mother Pauline moved to the Bay Area shortly thereafter. Gary spent most of his early years in San Mateo County, settling in Millbrae, CA where he went to high school. At Capuchino High School, Gary followed his passion for sports and joined the baseball and football teams, playing against tough competitors, most notably John Madden, but he held his own standing out as one of the stars on the team. It was also at Capuchino when Gary was introduced to his lifelong friends and co-conspirators, Bob Denardi, Keith Kleinkoff, and Danny Greco, who not only introduced Gary to hunting and fishing—beloved hobbies he enjoyed for the rest of his life—but to a group of guys that became more of a family than friends.
After graduating from Capuchino in 1956 and after a couple years of working, Gary joined the Army in 1961. He was formally trained as a cable splicer and, not surprisingly, recognized as a sharpshooter—something every one of his hunting buddies would discover. When pressed about his time in the military, he was more apt to share stories about learning and playing rugby in France and across Europe with the locals than anything else. Returning to civilian life in 1965 he came back to his job at Pacific Bell, applying his new cable splicing skills, got married and had two wonderful sons, Jon and Bob, to whom he passed on his passion for sports and the great outdoors.
On the field
While work was important—he was a fair, respected manager, who made lifelong friendships with peers and coworkers he mentored—his heart was on the field. He used sports to teach life skills. He not only coached his two sons but hundreds of kids, often standing in as a positive male role model and mentor at a time they needed it most. He was fully committed to his boys and Little League, waking up early on weekends to prepare the fields for the day’s games. Not only was he a coach for both boys’ teams throughout their career, he also became a District 52 umpire, put on umpire clinics, was on the Little League board, and could occasionally be found dishing out bagel dogs at the Trinta Park concession stand as a volunteer.
It was also on these baseball fields where he met the woman who would be with him until the very end, Nancy Muro. She was a devoted AA Reds team mom and he was the coach — both for her son, David, and his son, Jon .They married in 1992 at the behest of the children that brought them together.
The great outdoors
Gary loved sports but felt most at home in the outdoors. It led him to many beautiful places — fishing and hunting in Colorado, Idaho, Alaska, all over the Bay and Pacific Ocean with his fishing club family, Mexico, and Hornbrook, CA just to name a few. He loved nature for its unmatched beauty and the challenges it provided.
Over the years Gary and Nancy took to exploring various parts of the world. They ventured around the world to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. They took weeks-long road trips exploring much of Utah, Colorado, and Idaho — stopping to see The Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion, where they were able to spot an abundance of wildlife thanks to Gary’s keen eye. They also enjoyed cruises. As luck would have it, during their very first cruise — on their honeymoon — Hurricane Andrew paid a visit. They managed to make the best of it and, undeterred, continued taking cruises throughout the rest of their 28-year marriage. Together they passed through the Panama Canal, took their children to the Mexican Riviera, sailed to Alaska to explore the aquatic wonders of the north, made a quick trip to Disneyworld in Florida, and fell in love with the natural beauty of the Caribbean.
And it’s those adventures that kept him strong and fighting when he first experienced health issues in 1996, which forever changed his way of living. After bypass surgery, a bout with cancer, and being on oxygen 24/7 due to complications with his lungs, you’d think a person would pretty much give up activities like fishing and hunting, but not our Gary. Always unflappable and passionate about the outdoors, Gary was determined to continue doing what he loved with the people he loved. Nancy, always by his side, was up for the challenge. With her tireless help, Gary even joined a fishing club, the NorCal Skippers Club, and was able to fish multiple times a week.
Against all odds, he also continued hunting. As you could imagine, spending time in remote hills while requiring oxygen wasn’t easy, but Gary had the support of many friends to continue pursuing his passion. One time, a very good friend, Keith Klinekoff, made it happen. First, he wired his Bronco with a converter in order to run a concentrator to provide oxygen. When that didn’t work, Keith welded a basket to the front of the Bronco to place a generator, then ran the wiring to the back of the truck where the concentrator was sitting. While this seemed like a reasonably safe idea, a particularly wet storm almost left the entire hunting group stranded on the ranch. Shooting a rooster tale of mud and water 30 feet behind them is just one of the many adventures they had together.
If you met Gary you know he profoundly impacted many lives. If you ever had the chance to see Gary’s sly grin, you wouldn’t forget it. For those of you that did, I’m sure you were better for it.