* William Charles Cordes; Teacher and Coach

William Charles Cordes, a teacher and coach, died Sunday of a heart attack. He was 49.

He was born May 3, 1951, in Salinas and was raised in Oxnard, where he attended elementary schools and graduated in 1969 from Oxnard High School. In high school, he was recognized as one of the Channel League’s first-team all-league football players. He went on to Ventura College and was an all-American.

In 1972, he played with Stanford University as an offensive guard in the Rose Bowl. He later graduated from Stanford with a master’s degree in physical education.

Cordes worked for the Oxnard Union High School District for 24 years, as a physical education teacher and as a department chairman. He taught at Channel Islands and Hueneme high schools and most recently taught at his alma mater, Oxnard High. He was a well-known football, wrestling, and track coach. He was also involved with his children’s youth sports and coached for Northside Little League. He recently coached the El Rio ASA 14-and-under all-star team.

Cordes is survived by his wife of 21 years, Debra of Oxnard; their children, Allison, Marsha and Mark; mother Carole Sanford of Oxnard; father Bill Cordes; grandmother Juanita Cordes of Salinas; brother Bobby Sanford of Oxnard; sisters Susan Sanford, Kathryn Lamar of Santa Rosa, and Rhonda Boese of Oakdale, Calif.

Mass is scheduled at 10 a.m. today at Sacred Heart Church in Ventura with interment following at Santa Clara Cemetery in Oxnard.

Arrangements are under the direction of the James A. Reardon Mortuary in Oxnard.