The hall of fame inductee taught athletes in west central Florida for more than 25 years.
By GREG WILLIAMS
Published January 11, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - George A. Strouse Sr., one of Florida's pioneer coaches of track and field, has died.
Mr. Strouse, 85, died last month (Dec. 25, 2003) at home in Sun City, Ariz.
He coached at St. Petersburg High School from 1957 to 1968, winning state titles in 1960, 1961 and 1963 and producing two state runners-up. Before that, he coached at Manatee High School for 10 years, winning three state titles. From St. Petersburg High, he went to Lakewood High School, where he stayed until 1984.
All told, Mr. Strouse's teams won more than 300 meets, 14 Pinellas County Athletic Conference titles, 13 district titles and six state titles. He was inducted into the Florida Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Florida Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992. He was recently inducted into St. Petersburg High School's Sports Hall of Fame.
"Everybody loves a winner, but nobody loves a loser," he said when he retired in 1984. "But not me. I've had a lot of great athletes, but I could never forget those young men that didn't quite have as much talent as some of those that were outstanding."
Mr. Strouse, a West Virginia native and a Navy veteran of World War II, moved in 1993 to Sun City, where he met his second wife, Eugenia. His first wife, Bette, died in 1986.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Cathie Judy, Palmetto; a son, George Jr., Clewiston; two brothers, Charles Strauss, Accident, Md., and James Kiskin, Tampa; two nieces; and four nephews. A memorial Mass is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, 1600 54th Ave. S.
- Information from Times files was used in this obituary.
