James Rodarte 11/3/1941 - 11/17/2020

On Wednesday, November 18, 2020, James Rodarte (aka Señor, Dart, Pops) of Auburn, CA passed away suddenly due to complications from COVID-19 at the age of 79. Jim was born on November 3rd, 1941 to Cesario and Leonides Rodarte in Anaheim, CA. He was a gifted student/athlete and fierce competitor, graduating from Anaheim High School in 1958 at the age of 16, receiving all-league honors in football (QB) and baseball (3rd base). He went on to be a scholarship athlete playing baseball for Orange Coast College (2 yrs), Fresno State (1 yr), and finishing at Long Beach State (1 yr), where he received his teaching credential in 1962. During his college career, the Los Angeles Dodgers had approached Jim to offer him a contract, but Jim chose to pursue his degree and after graduating at a very young age, he began his illustrious teaching and coaching career at Servite High School in Anaheim. He spent the next 49 years pursuing his passion of teaching high school Spanish and coaching football as an offensive coordinator. While living in Southern California, he helped turned the Los Alamitos Griffins into perennial playoff contenders and later was selected as the head coach of the North/South Shrine All-Star football game leading them to victory. In 1978, he was recruited to join Placer High School in Auburn, CA, solidifying a hall of fame staff that achieved years of success. He also had the opportunity to coach all three of his sons in the game he loved, and after retiring from teaching in 2011, Jim continued to coach alongside his son Eric to remain part of the Placer Hillmen culture. Coach Señor Rodarte over the next four decades in Auburn, became an iconic legend in the classroom, on the football field, and in the community, impacting and influencing students, players, and people alike with his fun-loving personality and engaging style. Whether it was classroom field trips to Taco Tree, challenging students to eat a red hot chili pepper to improve their grade, or all the funny nicknames and sayings he created, he had a unique gift to inspire his students and players to learn and improve their skills. Jim was also passionate about his Faith and sharing God's love with others. He donated food to the homeless people on the streets of Auburn, and spent time serving lunch at a homeless shelter. When time allowed, he enjoyed playing golf, but most of all, Jim loved people and he spent the majority of his time with his extended family and retired colleagues and friends. In 1962 he met Maureen Sullivan, and they were married in 1963, going on to have three sons: Brett, Ryan and Eric. Jim was predeceased by his parents; sister, Gloria; brothers, Victor and Joe. He is survived by his brother, Manuel; sisters, Bernice, Lydia, and Irene; former spouse, Maureen, his three sons, Brett (DeAnn), Ryan (Stacey), and Eric (Sarah); eight grandchildren, Gabrielle, Max, Dylan, Noah, Jeremiah, Micah, Chase, and Asher; and several nieces and nephews residing in southern California. Due to COVID restrictions, a celebration of life will be determined at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hillmen Foundation (PO Box 6115, Auburn, CA 95604), Gold Country Young Life, or your local homeless shelter, all were near and dear to Jim Rodarte's heart.