For 35 years, Keith Rebelo made an immeasurable impact as a science and PE teacher and a coach of multiple sports at Hoover Middle School.
Many of his former students, athletes, colleagues and administrators gathered to remember Rebelo — who died on March 28 of this year after a long battle with cancer — during a ceremony at Hoover on Wednesday afternoon.
The school planted a tree in his honor and named the baseball field along 26th Street after the longtime coach.
Former Hoover principal Doug Collins wasn’t just there to honor his friend as his former administrator. Collins was also one of Rebelo’s students.
“What we heard today at this memorial was literally just a piece of a history and a legacy that people will talk about in this town — not just Hoover Middle School — in the town,” Collins said. “There are so many people who just know who Keith Rebelo is because of how he cared for kids and how he cared for their kids and grand kids.”
Rebelo filled in as coach wherever the school needed him, coaching baseball, basketball, wrestling and track at certain points of his over three decades at the middle school.
Rebelo also helped plan the eighth grade field trips to Yosemite for 15 years, where he shared his love for nature with students.
He was notorious for his work ethic, often showing up to work early in the mornings before school to get ball fields ready for games. He would drag infields, clear rocks from the infield or pull weeds.
“His work ethic was legendary”
Rebelo did this while also working a second job in construction on nights and weekends.
“His work ethic was legendary,” Collins said. “He always had my respect just because of that ... He always went the extra mile for kids.”
Rebelo was born in Patterson and grew up in Gustine on the west side of Merced County. He attended Cabrillo Junior College and transferred to and graduated from UC Berkeley.
He was married to his wife Dorian for 41 years before he died at the age of 67.
He started off as a science teacher at Hoover before moving over to PE.
His wife said Hoover Middle School always had a special place in her husband’s heart.
“It was his family, he was here for 35 years,” Dorian Rebelo said. “He spent long hours here. It meant a lot to him.”
Former students, teachers recall his impact
His former students, athletes and fellow teachers talked about the impact he made on their lives.
Jared Hayes spoke about how he wasn’t getting along with one of his teammates.
“Me and Victor hated each other, couldn’t stand each other,” Hayes said “At practices we’d always be arguing ... and finally Rebelo had enough.”
“He sat us down in his office for two hours and locked us in until we worked it out,” Hayes added. “Until this day, Victor is still my best friend.”
Francisco Salazar talked about Rebelo pulling all of the baseball team out the dugout when one of the Hooever players was picked off first base when the player slid back to first base feet first.
“Rebelo goes to first base in his shorts and polo, and he dives back to first base, gets himself all dirty, his polo’s dirty, his shorts are dirty,” Salazar said. “This is like my second game here, I’m thinking this guy is intense.”
“I just came to check you out”
Salazar remembered when he was in high school playing baseball for Merced High. Rebelo would come watch the Bears play in Turlock even though Salazar was the only former Hoover player on the team.
Rebelo told him, “I just came to check you out.”
Salazar also told a story of how Rebelo bought one of his friends new basketball shoes because he only had an old pair to wear during the season.
Jeff Castleton told a story about how Rebelo made a spot for him on the Hoover baseball team when he saw how disappointed Castleton was when he didn’t make the team as a sixth-grader.
Castleton’s older brother Aaron told a story about Rebelo cranking up Metallica music in the gym during practice so the team would be ready to play in a noisy gym against rival Tenaya.
Others shared stories about times Rebelo was there as someone to to talk to or motivate them to make the 8-minute mile club at school. How he would continue to check on them when they went on to play high school sports or later became teachers and coaches.
“He was a great man, great mentor and I will never forget that man and I will never ever be able to thank him enough for everything he did for me,” Hayes said.
Widow proud “he won’t be forgotten”
Dorian was moved by the ceremony and memories shared.
“It makes us very proud that he won’t be forgotten,” she said. “People loved him enough to still remember him after he retired.”
Collins said it was a comfort as a principal to know the students were in good hands with Rebelo.
“I had so much trust knowing that our students out in PE and in our sports were literally always being taken care of and watched over by him,” Collins said. “It just gave me, as a principal at the time, such a great trust in him and our entire PE department.”
“He’s going to be missed,” Collins added. “I won’t think of Hoover without thinking of Keith Rebelo.”
Rebelo is survived by his wife Dorian; their two children, Rachel and Kyle; two grandchildren; and, four brothers.
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