2019 Coach Bill Tighe's 95th Birthday Proclamation

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i� ilg,M04 hyjv \p1 Tobin of lextngton, fftmgarbu�ett� OFFICE OF SELECTMEN PROCLAMATION` Whereas: William "Coach" Tighe was born on June 21, 1924 and grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts, where he was a three-sport all scholastic standout. Following graduation in 1942, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps as a P-38 fighter pilot and crew chief serving in New Guinea, Philippines, Okinawa, Japan, and Korea during WWII from 1943 through 1946; and Whereas: upon Coach's return he was accepted at Boston University, where he picked up his athletic career and became a two-sport Hall of Fame inductee for baseball and football. Coach was also selected for the Post War All-Star gridiron team in 1964; and Whereas: after graduating Boston University in 1949, Coach played professional baseball for St. Johnsbury in Vermont in the Northern League. Coach also got offers to play baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and football for the Yankees in the short-lived All American Football League. Coach turned down the offers to pursue a career in teaching; and Whereas: Coach was married for 57 years to his late wife Mary. They had six children. He lost two sons to cystic fibrosis as children. He has nine grandchildren, and four great- grandchildren; and Whereas: having coached for over 62 years, Coach had a spectacular career with 53 years as a head coach. He coached in 514 games including: seven years in Wakefield, Massachusetts with a record of 44-14-2 including a State Championship in 1962; Coach was invited to the White House by President Kennedy, where they swapped autographed footballs; Coach served nine years in Malden, Massachusetts with a record of 39-37-2 and two Greater Boston League Championships; and Coach also served 36 years in Lexington, Massachusetts with a record of 186-181-9 that included three Middlesex League Championships and one Super Bowl appearance; and Whereas: Coach has been recognized over the years with many awards and honors including being inducted into: the Massachusetts Football Coaches Hall of Fame; the National Federation of High School Coaches Hall of Fame; the Lexington High School Hall of Fame as a Head Coach; the Lexington High School Hall of Fame with the 1980 and 1984 teams; the Wakefield, Massachusets Hall of Fame as a Head Coach; the Malden, Massachusetts Hall of Fame as a Head Coach; the Boston University Hall of Fame as a football player; the Boston University Hall of Fame as baseball player; he served as the Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal in Lexington, Masssachusetts in 2016 and served as the Patriots' Day Afternoon Parade Grand Marshal in Lexington,Massachusetts in 2017; and Whereas: when Coach retired in 2010, he was the oldest active High School Athletic Coach in the United States of America at 86 years young.