William Pinkham

    William Douglas (Doug) Pinkham, 83, Clear Lake, died after a short illness on Aug. 20, 2011 at Oakwood Care Center in Clear Lake. Doug was a resident at Apple Valley Assisted Living in Clear Lake.
     A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 25, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, with the Rev. Dennis Ganz officiating.  Visitation will be held from  4 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 and one hour preceding the service at Ward-Van Slyke. Military honors will be provided by the Clear Lake V.F.W.  Inurnment will be at a later date.  Memorials may be given to the William Douglas Pinkham Memorial Fund.

     Doug was born Aug. 5, 1928 to Charles and Beula (Short) Pinkham. Doug grew up in Cedar Falls, Iowa and was an accomplished athlete at the Iowa State Teachers College High School. Doug was named to the IDPA second team and Des Moines Register third team All State football teams as an end in 1945. Doug placed third in the 440-yard dash at the Iowa state track meet in 1945 and 1946 when the entire state competed in one class. Doug graduated from Iowa State Teacher’s college and was working his first teaching job in Rowan, Iowa when he was drafted to serve in the Army in Germany during the Korean War. Doug coached high school football at Nashua, Iowa from 1953 to 1960; where he was 46-14-3, including a 26-game winning streak, won four Corn Bowl Conference Championships and a “mythical” small school state championship. Doug then worked for his father, Charlie, at Iowa Sports Supply until 1964 when he returned to coaching at West Marshall in State Center, Iowa where he was 94-26-2 including a 25-game winning streak and six conference titles. In 1970 Doug was named the IFCA and Des Moines Register’s prep coach of the year. Doug retired from coaching in 1978 to enter private business and sales. In 1983 Doug was inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Hall of Fame.
     Doug is survived by his brothers, Tom (Xu Yinyu) Pinkham of Shanghai, China, and Neil (Evangaline) Pinkham of Boulder Colo., his sister, Rachael (Jon) Sailer of Roanoke Va.; children, David (Sheryl) Pinkham of Cottonwood Heights, Utah, Sue Schinke of Delano, Minn., and Kay Gowdy of Allen Texas; grandchildren, Jamie (Steven) Foust, James Schinke, Tara Schinke, and Katelyn Pinkham; great-grandchild, Preston Foust; and first wife, Barbara Pinkham, of Clear Lake.  
     Doug was preceded in death by his parents; step-mother, Sarah; sister, Dolores Carlo; and second wife, Jeanyce Hanson Forsyth Pinkham.