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John Motzkus – May 20, 1934 – Feb. 2, 2020
February 23, 2020 by
John Motzkus, a teacher and Anaheim High’s activities director from 1970 to 1996, passed away Feb. 2, 2020, three months short of his 86th birthday.
Following is a tribute provided by his family:
John Ervin Motzkus, beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend, passed away Feb. 2, 2020 in Los Angeles (Eagle Rock), CA. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nancy Motzkus of Eagle Rock; 2 daughters Melani (David) Carty of Lovettsville, VA and Heidi Motzkus (wife of Steven Fiorillo) of Eagle Rock; 2 grandchildren, Jonathan and Christiana Carty; sister-in-laws Jolene Motzkus of Elkhorn, NE and Shirley Christiansen of Omaha, NE; nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.
Born in Globe, Wisconsin on May 20, 1934, John was preceded in death by parents Rev. Walter A. and Eva (Tolles) Motzkus; brothers Richard and Paul Motzkus; and sisters Ruth Bronder and Lois O’Leary.
John later lived in La Crosse, WI; Leigh, NE; and Omaha, NE where he graduated from Omaha South High in 1951 and the University of Nebraska, Omaha in 1955.
He also lived in San Francisco for a few months in 1955 while awaiting the draft. He was in the Army at Monteith Kesserne near Nuremberg, Germany in 1956-57.
In April, 1960 John married Nancy Christiansen in Omaha, NE. They met in an English history class at UNO in 1958 as John had gone back to college for a teaching credential after the Army. He taught at Ashland Park School in Omaha in 1960-61. Then he and Nancy moved to Southern California pulling a U-Haul trailer west on Old Route 66 with no air conditioning!
They landed in Santa Ana, CA in Aug. 1961, and John taught at McFadden Jr. High (1961-62). The following year he took a teaching position at Savannah High School (1962-70) in the Anaheim Union High School District.
In 1969 John earned a M.A. degree in Social Studies and a M.S. degree in School Administration from California State University, Fullerton, CA and transferred to Anaheim High School where he was Activities Director and teacher from 1970-96.
John was President of the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association (ASTA) in 1971-72. He was an inspiration to so many of his teaching colleagues. His legacy of work and advocacy for issues of fairness and decency made a real impact on teachers and students.
He retired from the AUHSD in 1996 after 37 years of teaching in CA. He continued with the district after retirement teaching English as a Second Language at Trident Adult Education Center. He loved teaching adult education. He also loved ballroom dancing, writing, drawing, poetry, chess, ping-pong, and cooking his favorite meals for the family. He was an admirer of Mark Twain and Willie Nelson.
John and Nancy lived in Orange County for 53 years before moving from Anaheim Hills, CA to Los Angeles County in 2014.
John was cremated and his ashes will be scattered at the Headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana along with the ashes of his beloved dog, Ike. His grace, humor, knowledge and loving nature will be sorely missed.
Memorial donations may be made to The Braille Institute at their Anaheim or Los Angeles locations.
Anaheim High’s Shigekawa Family
July 15, 2019 by
The Shigekawa family is a Japanese American pioneer family from Anaheim.
Kiyoshi Shigekawa was a 1930 graduate of Anaheim High School. 
Marlene graduated in 1962 and her older brother and younger sister are also graduates of Anaheim High.
Marlene is project manager of the Poston Community Alliance and a Board Member of the Poston Preservation Project. She is also an author and documentary film maker.
She was born in the Poston, Arizona Japanese American incarceration camp during WWII and her baby bracelet is now a part of the Japanese American collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Super Bowl Coaches to Join Golfers at AHS Alumni Association Golf Classic & Auction
February 10, 2019 by
In Classic Colonist style, New York Giants Super Bowl Coach Jim Fassel ’67 and his son, John, the LA Rams Special Teams Coach who recently made his Super Bowl debut, will be among participants at the 10th Annual ASHAA Golf Classic & Auction, Monday, Feb. 18, at Western Hills Country Club.
The tournament’s Hall-of-Fame lineup will include many other outstanding Colonist athletes like football legend Mickey Flynn ’57. AHS Coaches, many of whom are Anaheim alumni, are forming golf foursomes, and will be joined by Dan Miller, former athletic director and head basketball coach.
A day of sunshine is predicted for the President’s Day tournament that will raise funds for the AHSAA’s Spirit Scholarships and the Athletic Department’s facilities improvement campaign.
Along with a day of golf, the event includes a 2 p.m. lunch, awards, and an auction and opportunity drawing, both featuring an array of donated prizes. All are welcome to attend, with lunch tickets available for $30. To signup, click here or contact the AHSAA at anaheimalumni@yahoo.com.
A big thank you to the sponsors and donors who make this top fundraiser possible!
The AHS Alumni Association is pleased to welcome first-time GOLD sponsor Selman Chevrolet.
Thanks also to Pride Sponsor Al Rodriguez and his AHS Foursome; and Blue Sponsors Boydstun Realty & Property Management, owner Reon Boystun Howard ’74; Gerald Woodward ’59, Michael La Torre ’65.
Colonist cheers to our beverage sponsor Jerry Zomordian from Anaheim ARCO, as well as to Ron Davini ’65, an AHS Hall of Famer who has sponsored lunch for several years to feed our event volunteers.
Tee-signs will be displayed through course, thanks to sponsors such as Jeff Morris ’67 in member of his classmate Mark Uhlich ‘67.
Questions may be directed to anaheimalumni@yahoo.com or by calling AHSAA Events Director Debbie Vidana, 714-883-2389.
Class of 1956 Reunion – September 2018
October 28, 2018 by
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- Benita Miller
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- Bill and Joan Weaver
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- Bob Miller
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- David Chaffee
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- Deana Leo-Miller, Sharon Bell, Marian Waldo
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- Dennis Daniels and Deana Leo-Miller
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- Dick and Jeanie Prowse
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- Dick Prowse
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- George Burns
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- Gil Koehler
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- Jeanie Bauman-Hatfield
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- Jim and Carol Booth Cowee
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- Jim Konzal and Denny Warwick
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- Karen Lasher, Terry Tagney, Jerry Priday
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- Karern Lenain-Knoche
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- L-R Carol Booth-Cowee, Ron Prater, Ralph Scally, George Tous van Nijkerk
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- L-R David, Patty, Betsy, Dennis, Deana, Marian
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- L-R Josie Olvera-Sly, Carol Booth-Cowee, Harriet Hoffner Hermann
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- Marian Waldo
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- Patty Mushegain, Carol Cowee, Betsy Blakley
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- Peggy Bode-Tous van Nijkerk
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- Richard and Harriet Hoffner Hermann
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- Ron and Mary Prater
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- Ruby Sugihara
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- Sharon Bell
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- THE MAKE IT HAPPEN GUYS David, Bill and Dennis
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- Toni Burns
Sponors, Volunteers, Student Groups Added Energy to 6th Annual Colony Classic Car Show
October 19, 2016 by
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- Cheer with Anaheim Fire Department
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- Students enjoyed the Anaheim Regional Transportation (ART) Bus
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- AHS Chamber Singers
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- Tourist from France heard about the Car Show and decided to check it out.
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- Cheer display
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- Cheer squad photo booth
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- APAC Booth
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- Another cool cruiser on the AHS Campus
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- Cheer squad performs
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- A hand-crafted car quilt was one of the auction prizes
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- An alumni with cheerleaders
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- Celebrating the 60th Annversary of 1956 CIF Championship game
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- Beth Flynn ’58
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- The Stark Family headed up the opportunity drawing booth.
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- Class of ’66 Colonists
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- Mary Carilllo ’65
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- ASB students served as sound techs for car show
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- Class of 1966 poses for photo on Pep Stage
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- Class of 1966 classmates
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- Class of 1966 classmates
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- ’66 classmates on Pep Stage
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- Andy Ersek, Barbara Vary and Gary Wimberly
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- Students in 1950s garb added a fun dimension to classic car show.
Carl’s Drive-In A Popular Hang Out for Anaheim High Students
September 11, 2016 by
When Anaheim High students take a trip down memory lane, they often cruise to a Carl’s Jr. and remember the days when the Carl’s Drive-In Barbeque opened on November 1944 at 1108 N. Palm St. (now Harbor). The restaurant featured curb, counter and table service. Carl cooked and his wife Margaret (Heinz) Karcher served the counter customers and cashiered.
The drive-in became an instant popular hang-out for Anaheim High students. With WWII coming to an end, Anaheim’s young vets were returning home. Carl’s Drive-In was the place to meet up with old friends and to be seen, especially if you drove a hopped-up Chevy or Ford. Of course, the best way to be found would be in a convertible “top down” munching on a hamburger, drinking a shake or a cherry Coke. Those inside plugged the juke box with nickels to listen to their favorite tunes while enjoying a Carl’s burger.
Interesting trivia for Anaheim history buffs: Before it became Carl’s, the building at 1108 N. Palm was a Tommy’s Drive-In, then it became Scotties, then Lucky’s, all offering drive-in curb service. The building has since been torn down.
The first local Carl’s Jr. was built in 1956 on the former Janss Street next to St. Boniface Catholic Church. That former Carl’s Jr. is now the church’s Bethany Hall. The current flagship Carl’s Jr. is located at 1200 N. Harbor Blvd. Another favorite Carl’s at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Broadway has been torn down and is being rebuilt with a drive-thru lane. The grand-opening date is April 2012.
“Never to be Forgotten”
Anaheim High School’s relationship with Carl and Margaret went beyond kids visiting their drive-in and many Anaheim restaurants. Throughout the decades, the Karcher Family supported Anaheim and many of the Karcher children attended the city’s first high school.
Devout Catholics, the Karchers were life-time members of St. Boniface Church. Carl and Margaret were married Nov. 30, 1939, at St. Boniface and brought 12 children into the world. Carl had several audiences with Pope John Paul II and was knighted into the order of Malta, one of the highest honors a lay person can attain.
The community truly adored Carl, who is considered an Anaheim legend. He was the honorary Grand Marshall of the 2006 Halloween Parade. Also, on Jan. 16, 2007, Carl and Margaret received the second star on the Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars at the entrance to Disneyland on Harbor Boulevard. At the City’s 150th anniversary sesquicentennial, a specially engraved brick honoring the late Carl and Margaret was laid in front of the Pearson Park Theater surrounding the rose garden honoring Sarah Fay Pearson.
Their dedication and service to the City of Anaheim and its youth will always be appreciated, as well as the memories they provided through their family-friendly restaurants.
Carl, Margaret and their family truly enjoyed the lovely home they purchased in 1949 at 700 N. Clementine Street until their passing. Both Carl and Margaret were laid to rest in the family plot at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Orange, but their legacy continues, as there are more than 3,000 Carl’s Jr. locations in 43 states and 13 countries, proudly offering menu items of Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito and Red Burrito.
