admin Sometimes, the most soft-spoken people leave the loudest memories.
“Keep Making Kids Happy,” Bob Wuesthoff would tell his camp counselors every summer for decades, “Our job is to make kids happy.”
A simple message that has helped transform the lives of Long Beach’s youth for 60 years and counting.
WUESTHOFF’S LEGACY
Bob Wuesthoff may have been a quiet man, but he was a big presence and very well-known in Long Beach. Many old-timers will remember him by name. After all, he’s in the Long Beach State Hall of Fame for leading the baseball team (before they were known as the Dirtbags) to a winning record for five straight years from 1964-1969. He then remained active in both the Athletics and Kinesiology departments at Long Beach State for decades.
But Wuesthoff’s legacy goes way beyond baseball, and even if you don’t know him by name, you likely know of his true legacy, 49er Camp. Even more likely, you know one of the many people in this community who embody the values he instilled in them.
