He was father of Bill, Bob and Greg Saxton, Lakes High School grads.
William Wesley Saxton, age 91, passed away March 21, 2016, in
(apparently) Gig Harbor, Wash.
Born Sept 12, 1924, he was a teacher, coach and counselor for 30 years in
the Clover Park School District.
He served in the U.S. Navy at the end of WWII.
In about 1947 he and Florence “Niki” May Nicole Anzalone Saxton (born in
Berkeley, Calif.) married. They moved to Lakewood that year. Married for 67
years, she passed away March 15, 2013, in Gig Harbor.
Info about Niki:
A 1942 CP
graduate, he was voted “Most Athletic Boy” by his classmates. He competed for the
Warriors in football, basketball and baseball.
Mr. Saxton graduated from the College (now University) of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Mr.
Saxton played basketball for the CPS Loggers.
At CP his duties included teaching science and biology. He also (apparently) was a counselor. He coached CP Warrior football and boys' basketball. Soon after Lakes High School opened in 1962, he moved from CP to Lakes.
At Lakes High, his positions,
according to the 1973 Lakes Legend yearbook, included assistant
principal/senior dean. He also coached Lancers girls' basketball. He served as
a Clover Park Education Association president.
Mr. Saxton loved his family.
His dedication and love for his sons --William, Robert and Gregory --
manifested itself in several ways. One was coaching. Not only did he share the
love of sports with his sons but with many other young boys.
Among the ideals for living he stressed were to live life with dignity win
or lose, be true to your family and be careful to judge others.
He will be missed by his family, including eight grandchildren and those
who he influenced as an educator, coach and friend.
.........
Photos include Mr. Saxton as a Lakes counselor (Lakes Legend yearbook
source) and as a member of the 1941 Clover Park High School football team
(Clover Park Klahowya yearbook source). Also at Lakes from the 1973 Legend is Mr. Saxton as assistant principal/senior dean. Note cropped version of same photo pointing to a photo of his sons near his office telephone.)
Story based on information here …
… and other sources
Will-Dee Printing Co., 6427 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood. Firm sometimes identified as being in Tacoma since most (all?) of its life was before Lakewood was incorporated as a city in 1996. It was where Clover Park High's Clover Leaves and Lakes High's Lakes Ledger student newspapers were pasted-up and printed. Adviser to both newspapers was journalism teacher Charles Croasdill.
