William "Coach" Robert Dando

William "Coach" Robert Dando, Jr. 89, of Watkinsville, went home to be with the LORD on Tuesday, February 15, 2022.

Bill Dando was born in Ashland, PA on April 30, 1932.  He was the late son of William R. Dando, Sr., and Catherine Madden Dando.

Coach earned All-State Honors in Football, Basketball and Baseball for Ashland High School. He received several college scholarship opportunities, before deciding on the University of San Francisco. After his sophomore year he enlisted in the Marine Corp during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged from the Marines in 1955. Having three years of college eligibility he received a scholarship from the University of Detroit, where he played both football and baseball for the Titans.

Bill met his wife of 63 years, Willie at U of D and were married before his graduation in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He accepted his first college coaching position in 1960 at John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH. In 1963 He was promoted to Head Coach after John Ray moved on to serve on Ara Parseghian’s staff at Notre Dame. The lure of major college football led him to join Hayden Fry’s coaching staff at Southern Methodist University (SMU) as Line backers and defensive line coach. In 1966, Coach and his family moved to Buffalo NY, where he joined Doc Urich’s staff coaching the line backers for the University of Buffalo Bulls. In 1970 the University of Buffalo dropped their football program, but he remained on staff joining the faculty teaching physical education and serving as the Head Men’s Golf Coach and Assistant Baseball Coach. The UB students would later petition the university to bring football back in 1977, and Bill was offered the Head Coaching position where he remained until his retirement in 1989.  His love of coaching and the university allowed him to coach 12 All-Americans, 16 ECAC All-Stars as well as 2 Upstate New York Conference Players of the Year.

During several summer months, he also operated the Audubon Golf Course where he coached many western New Yorkers in one of his other passions, golf. He was a member of Brookfield C.C. in Clarence, NY and Pasadena Yacht and C.C. in St. Petersburgh, FL, where he won multiple Senior Club Championships at both clubs. Coach and Willie moved to Watkinsville, GA in 2002, where he joined the golf operation staff under Mike O’Malley at The Georgia Club, serving as starter for 18 years.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by two of his children, Anne Louise Wilczek and Molly C. Mizerak. Survivors include his wife Frances C. “Willie” Dando; children Frances Marie Hoehn (Tim), William J. Dando (Sherri), Martha E. Dando (Terry Doyle), siblings: Lawrence Dando, Ann Ewasko (John), Cathy Troutman, Helen Wolfgang (Emerson); grandchildren: Stephanie, Chris, Jared, Sammy, Jamie, Joey, Nicky, Joseph, Bobby, Stephen and Billy; 11 great-grandchildren; sons-in-la John Mizerak and Alan Wilczek; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 18, 2022, at Lord and Stephens, West chapel at 6:00 pm with Kevin Hynes officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jeffery Vaden Chavis House- Augusta Burn Center, 1109 Medical Center Dr. #6, Augusta, GA 30909 or at burnfoundation.net .

Lord & Stephens Funeral Home West, Watkinsville is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com