Coach Dingboom

Coach Dingboom served in the U.S. Marines from 1944 through 1946 and then graduated from the University of Buffalo in 1950.  He also did graduate work at U.B. between ’54 and ’57. While an undergrad at U.B., he met and married Helen Carey, in June of 1948. Helen earned a degree in Nursing from Deaconess Hospital and worked in the field of nursing for 35 years. They have three sons - Tim, Gary, and Michael. Tim is married with four children (1 son, 3 daughters) and works for the U.S. West Telephone Co. Gary is married with three children (2 daughters, 1 son) and works for the Washington Post. Michael is married and works for United Airlines. 

In 1999, our Head Coach celebrated his 50^th year of coaching football. His career has had him coach at the University of Buffalo, Kensington H.S., Riverside H.S., Kenmore East H.S., and currently at Nichols H.S. He coached at Riverside from 1959 through 1989. 

After leading us to the 1959 runner-up game against Seneca and the 1960 Harvard Cup Co-Championship with Burgard, he went on to take Riverside to 11 more Thanksgiving Day games. These included 9 championship games and 2 runner-up games. Overall, Riverside teams won 6 Harvard Cups and 2 runner-up games under his leadership. 

In recent years, the Dingbooms have really gotten into the travel scene. They have “invaded” Hawaii at least eight times and have also gone sightseeing in Alaska, Ireland, California, Nova Scotia, Europe, the Canadian Rockies, and Bora Bora. When they really want to kick back, they just sign up for another cruise (they have taken at least five of these). All in all, it seems like they are having a great time.

One of the highlights of their travel schedule was in June of 1998 when their sons assembled all their families at a lodge in Breckenridge, Colorado for a 50^th Wedding Anniversary celebration. Between the beauty of the Rockies and the thrill of having the whole family in one place, it was one of the most enjoyable trips of their lives.