Richard Harvey Bethel

Known to his loved ones and friends as Papa, Coach, Ricker and Schroocheez, Ric leaves his wife, Bonnie of 52 years; his daughter Kristen and husband John Rudella and grandsons Matthew and Thomas of Menlo Park, CA; his son Jeff Bethel and wife Jasmin and granddaughters Grace and Adrienne of Corvallis, Oregon.

Born on August 10, 1941 in San Diego and raised in Chula Vista, Ric lived in Southern California his entire life. Ric graduated from San Diego State University in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and later earned a Master of Arts in Education from Whittier College in 1972. He met Bonnie Sue Haefer while studying at San Diego State University and they were married in 1965. The couple moved to West Covina where Ric taught and coached baseball at Los Altos High School. Ric and Bonnie moved to Carlsbad, California in 1972 where Ric taught U.S. History, coached baseball and girls soccer, and served as Athletic Director at Vista High School. He also served as Athletic Director at Rancho Buena Vista High when it opened in 1987 and then finished his career in education as Principal of Guajome Park Academy in Vista.

With the help of motivated players, he founded and developed the girls soccer program at Vista High School in 1980. Poise, Pride, and Hustle were central to his coaching values, which he instilled in his soccer teams. While his teams were quite successful, winning tournaments and competing in CIF Championships, Ric stated in a letter to his players in 1983 that “the journey wasn’t about the wins and losses that were accrued but much more about blood, sweat and tears that occurred during the process”. His teams also had the opportunity to compete in tournaments in Europe and Toronto. He was blessed to have recently attended a reunion of the 1982-1986 teams in July, 2017. He also coached his wife, Bonnie’s, “mature ladies” soccer team in Carlsbad in the 1980’s. The athletes from his teams have expressed love for his mentoring and his positive admiration for them as people. Ric served as a mentor to a countless number of former players throughout his life.

His love for sports and his alma mater, San Diego State University, continued after retirement with season tickets to the Aztec football and basketball games. Beginning in 2014, he discovered the love of pickleball and played at St. Michaels by the Sea nearly every day. There, he found a new family of friends and, in his usual way, would engage, motivate and coach his fellow players. Ric served for several years on the San Diego High School Coaching Legends Committee and was inducted into the San Diego High School Coaching Legends Hall of Fame in 2009.

Ric was passionate about gardening, and worked for many years as a supervisor for the Carlsbad Flower Fields each spring. He enjoyed working with the beautiful flowers and meeting the visitors that came each season to explore the famous ranunculus. Never far removed from sports, Ric enjoyed volunteering at North Coast Calvary Chapel Kids Games where kids learned teamwork and the love of God through sports. You could always find Ric and Bonnie every afternoon walking the Carlsbad sea wall exercising and visiting with friends.

Everyone enjoyed Ric’s marvelous sense of humor and knew in their hearts how much he cared about them. Ric loved to travel and meet new friends. Two of his favorite recent trips were to Italy and Malta for Bonnie’s and his 50th wedding anniversary and to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2017 at 11:00 am at North Coast Calvary Chapel in Carlsbad, California.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to North Coast Calvary Chapel Kids Games or St. Michaels by the Sea with a notation “in Memory of Pickleball Angel Ric”.

Reception following service.