A coach for Malibu High School’s track and field, soccer and cross country teams was killed in a car accident on his way to work last Thursday.
After leaving his home in Oxnard, Frank Page, 55, was traveling on Pacific Coast Highway when his truck was hit by a driver who lost control of his car, according to the California Highway Patrol. The accident occurred shortly before 7 a.m. near the firing range at Point Mugu.
Page was pronounced dead at the scene by fire officials. The other driver, Ronald Lee Poling, was taken to a hospital, treated and then released.
Page was born in Los Angeles and won numerous shot put awards in high school. His love of athletics brought him to Malibu High School, where he coached for the last six years. He was California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Coach of the Year in 2001, when MHS won its only CIF championship in any sport. He coached four Frontier League Champion teams and several top performing track and field athletes in the throwing events.
“The thing about Frank,” said Jennifer Gonzalez, who coaches cross country at MHS, “he was the kind of guy who was always around, always willing to help. Now that’s he’s gone, you realize how many things he was involved in. He had a really good heart.”
Even with a passion for sports, physical challenges plagued his life. Page served in Vietnam as a Marine and was wounded twice; the second time, he nearly lost his life, which earned him the Purple Heart.
“He was wounded in 1969 in Vietnam,” his nephew, Ed Ward, recalled. His injuries were so severe “he was told he wouldn’t live to see 40.”
The young soldier took a very long time to heal. “Physically, it was very difficult for him after being wounded,” Ward said.
Gonzalez said Page shared many of his experiences with the students.
“They all knew he did a stint in Vietnam,” she said. “Frank at every moment was very honest-he wore his heart on his sleeve,” which sometimes “came out in anger or frustration. He was good-naturedly teased for being a grouch. The kids knew he cared about them, and felt okay about ribbing him. He could be gruff on the outside, but he was the first to admit it.”
In a press release on Friday, Malibu High School Principal Mike Matthews wrote, “Frank was a hard-working, selfless and fiery man who had high expectations of himself and others. He loved being an essential part of the Malibu High School family, but his true love was working with student athletes, helping them to maximize their potential as athletes and as human beings, and cheering them on when they did well.”
Page was also a coach in the men’s Tri-County Soccer League, said James Whalen, who plays in the league.
“We knew Frank as a mate playing soccer. We were absolutely devastated,” Whalen said.
The team dedicated Sunday’s practice game to Page.
If his life had taken a different turn, Page may have been a professional musician. He was a guitarist “who at one time had a dream of making it big,” Gonzalez said.
His nephew, Ward, concurs. “His two loves were music and athletics,” he said.
Ward said his uncle was married for a short time in the 1980s, which was a difficult time for him. The couple eventually divorced. They had no children.
Page is survived by his sister, Barbara Ward and nephew, Ed Ward; and cousins Valerie and Jim Dumond, and Jeannie Pagendarm. He is predeceased by his sister, Gladys, and parents Joe and Marion Page.
A memorial service will take place at the MHS soccer field at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The family is asking that donations be made payable to the MHS Scholarship Fund for a Frank Page Memorial Scholarship, and sent or brought to Malibu High School, 30215 Morning View Dr., Malibu, CA 90265.