Cal DeHaas made us better

My son, Ray, played for many coaches while growing up playing baseball in Coeur d’Alene. 

The best of them was Cal DeHaas. 

He knew the game well. He preached the fundamentals. He was disciplined. He was encouraging. Positive. He taught his players to build on success and learn from failure. Yes, he wanted to win. He wanted his players to develop their skills. But that wasn’t most important. Respect was. He did not demand respect, but rather lived by it. Cal DeHaas was a man of great integrity, and that blended into his players. He was the type of man you simply had to admire. 

Over two decades, I don’t know that I ever had an encounter with Cal in which it didn’t start with him smiling and greeting me warmly. He inquired about how I was doing, about my family and, of course, about Ray.

The last time I saw Cal was when I was out for a Saturday bike ride on 15th Street, saw a sign for a garage sale, and turned into a cul de sac. I was pretty sure Cal lived there and sure enough, out he came, a big grin, happy to see me, and we chatted for a few minutes before I rode away. He always left me feeling better than when I arrived. The man was perpetually upbeat, as if it was his duty to bring light to the world. 

Maybe it was.

In our last communication, he reminded me we needed to write a feature story about one of his North Idaho College students, Jon Brunko, who had won a championship in the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference on June 24 in Atlanta. 

In a press release, Brunko praised the effort of NIC Autobody and Paint Technology Associate Professor Cal DeHaas and his other professors for preparing him for the competition and giving him the tools to start a successful career. 

“I think they really push students to do their best and do it the right way,” Brunko said. 

In that release, DeHaas said he had high hopes for Brunko going into nationals and thought he’d be a top-five finisher if he had a consistent day in the hands-on events. 

“He exceeded those expectations in a big way and came home a national champion,” DeHaas said. “He’s the total package. Strong skill sets, solid troubleshooting skills, coachable, humble and is a fierce competitor.” 

That was Cal DeHaas. A man who had great expectations for those around him and helped them meet and exceed those expectations.  

Growing up, he was a fine athlete himself and won the 1979 state championship for the shot put. He never mentioned it. In his professional career, he earned many honors but didn’t talk about them. He always gave credit to others, and I can’t recall that he ever took any for himself, though he certainly deserved it. 

As busy as he was with family and a career, Cal found time to coach basketball, baseball, football and special needs athletes. He gave much of himself to this community. He was everything you hoped for in a mentor for your children. He influenced generations for the better. 

Cal DeHaas, sturdily built, was a rock. For his family. His friends. His faith.

To me, he seemed invincible. 

But, of course, he wasn’t. 

Cal died Oct. 2, at the young age of 62, after a battle with cancer. For reasons I don’t know, the Good Lord called him home. 

In his obituary, Cal was described as a husband, father, grandfather, teacher, coach and man of God. 

He was all that, for sure. He was also a good friend to many. 

I will be forever grateful I could count him as one. 

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Bill Buley is assistant managing editor of The Press. He can be reached at bbuley@cdapress.com.