William Charles Gaines "Bill"

The family of William Charles Gaines announces the passing of their beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Bill passed away on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at Hospice of Dayton at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife Sandy (Eshbaugh) of 54 years; son Greg (Judi) Gaines of Kettering; daughter Whitney (Frank) Taverna of Kettering; granddaughters Rachel Gaines of Champaign-Urbana, IL, Laura Gaines of Columbus, and Sofie Taverna of Kettering; sister Sherry (Dan) Diers of Avon, IN; and brother-in-law Dennis (Susan) Eshbaugh of Columbus. Bill is preceded in death by his parents William Harold and Shirley Ann Gaines.

Bill graduated from Colonel White High School in Dayton, and was considered one of the finest all-around athletes the city has produced. An All-City quarterback called the "Wizard" and "Houdini" by local sportswriters, he led the Cougars to an undefeated season in 1961, outscoring their opponents 502-34 through 9 games, culminating in the 32-12 defeat of perennial powerhouse Chaminade High School for the city championship on November 18, 1960. "The Game" set an all-time attendance record of 17,822 at Welcome Stadium.

Bill played in the North-South All-Star game after his senior year, and following the 14-6 victory was offered a full scholarship to play quarterback for Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama, two weeks before Joe Namath was offered the same scholarship which Bill turned down. (He often joked that his nickname was "Broadway Bill"!)

Bill also had a tryout with the Minnesota Twins, but ultimately chose to attend Wichita State University where he played football and basketball his freshman year, and was teammates with future NFL player and coach Bill Parcells in football and future NBA players Nate Bowman and Dave Stallworth.

Bill's athletic career ended tragically in the fourth game as the starting sophomore quarterback at Eastern Kentucky University, where he suffered a broken tibia and fibula which prevented him from ever playing again.

Head Coach Roy Kidd honored his scholarship and Bill served as an undergrad assistant coach and graduated from EKU with a degree in education.

It was during this time that Bill met the love of his life, Sandy Eshbaugh, who also attended Colonel White. Bill and Sandy married on December 22, 1966 and their son Greg was born the year after. Their daughter Whitney was born in 1977.

Bill pursued and achieved a successful career as a physical education teacher and football coach, with stops at various high schools in Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida where he retired from the Orange County School District. Bill coached both his son Greg and daughter Whitney in high school. He was also commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel by the Commonwealth of Kentucky on July 30, 2002.

Bill and Sandy returned to Ohio after retirement to be closer to their children and grandchildren, and have enjoyed quality time at family gatherings and at many field hockey and volleyball games and pre-professional ballet performances.

Bill was a man of fierce determination and drive, high ideals and integrity, and he had a wicked sense of humor. His passion in life was sports and his family. He was a devoted educator, husband, father, and friend, and he will be deeply missed.

A private graveside service for Bill will be held for family. Donations in Bill's name may be made to Hospice of Dayton.

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