Carrol C. Cates aka “Smokey”

Our world has lost a special,

unique soul who has been a

part of the Newport Beach

community for forty-two years.

Carrol Carter Cates (aka

Smokey) was born in Brownfi eld,

Texas in 1923. He was an

example of a Depression youth

who worked his way to success.

His dad was a carpenter, and

when Smokey was twelve years

old, he began working shingling

houses to earn extra money for

his poor family of four brothers and one sister. He would

later use these skills to work his way through college and

single-handedly build his own house for his family in

Borger, Texas.

Being given what teasing kids considered a girl’s

name, he was happy to take on the nickname, “Smokey”,

because he threw a smokin’ fast ball when he played high

school baseball at Hobbs High School in New Mexico. He

also played one year of pro baseball with the New Mexico

Clovis Pioneers.

After serving in the Navy during WWII on the

USS Croatan as a torpedo man, he played on the basketball,

baseball and football teams for Boise JC in Idaho where he

received a football scholarship and used his GI Bill funds

to enter Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New

Mexico. There, in 1945, he met his wife, Edna, to whom he

had been married for sixty-three years. With a double major

in biology and physical education, he graduated in 1953

after receiving the silver key for his academic achievement

and eventually obtaining a Master’s Degree in Education.

He taught and coached at Farwell High Scholl

and Borger High School which are both in Texas. In 1958,

he moved to California to teach classes, coach football

and be the head baseball coach at Stockton JC. With his

inspiring leadership, he led the team to become the 1959

State Champions, later he and his players were placed in

the Stockton Hall of Fame.

In the fall of 1959, Smokey became the football

line coach at Cerritos JC in Norwalk, California, where

the teams gained national ranking for several consecutive

years. When he took over as head football coach, his 1965

Falcon team’s success resulted in an undefeated season with

a victory in the Western Conference Championship Potato

bowl against his alma mater, Boise JC. He was recognized

as one of the top tacticians on line play among the ranks of

the nation’s junior college football coaches.

Coach Cates was an entertaining, motivational

speaker at Norwalk community groups, churches, coaching

conferences and clinics where he worked with famous

names such as Amos Alonzo Stagg, John Wooden, and

John Madden who interviewed him on his radio show. He

was a devoutly Christian man who has been an inspirational

influence on many of his students’ and players’ lives.

After 29 years at Cerritos, Smokey retired from coaching

and teaching in May of 1988. He and Edna bought a two

acre avocado ranch in Fallbrook, California where he

continued his hobbies of reading, writing, playing tennis

and studying Spanish while enjoying his four grandchildren,

Kyndra, Natalie, Curt, and Marianne. After a few years,

Smokey and Edna returned to Newport to be closer to their

family.

Smokey is survived by his wife, Edna, and his two

daughters, Coleen Smith and Ann Herberts. His memorial

service will be Saturday, March 27th at 2:30 in the chapel

of Pacific View Memorial Park at 3500 Pacific View Drive

in Corona del Mar 92625. In lieu of flowers, please send

donations to a Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Foundation.