Retired BHS Coach Frank Kallem, Hoover Grad 1957, Passed Away Today (1939-2023)

4/27/2023 UPDATE 
Memorial for Coach Frank Kallem 
Saturday May 27 (12:30-3:30)
Valencia Hills Clubhouse
24060 Oak Vale Drive
Valencia, California 91355

 

 Franklin Wayne "Frank" Kallem 

 September 24, 1939 ~ April 11, 2023

Frank Kallem passed away this morning, April 11. He had endured declining health for the last three plus years, and now passed away at age 83. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, daughter Lori, son Scott, several grandchildren and several more great-grandchildren. Frank was predeceased by his middle child, son Mark, in 1981 at age 17, due to a diving accident while with Frank near the Channel Islands off the Ventura coastline.

Frank Kallem was a native of Iowa, but moved to California with his family in his early teens. Frank graduated from Hoover High School in Glendale in 1957. It was in those years that he met his lifelong best friend, and later to be brother-in-law, Dave Kemp. The two were winning Cross Country and Track athletes while at Hoover High. Frank attended Cal State Los Angeles. In 1962 he began teaching and coaching at Burbank High for the next 38 years until he and Dave Kemp both retired in 2000. 

At BHS Frank taught Physical Science, Health, Safety, Driver Training, and P.E. He coached Cross Country, Track and Swimming. He had several championship teams during his years of coaching, including two CIF Cross Country Championships and numerous League titles in all levels. For 25 years from 1975 to 2000 Frank Kallem was the BHS Athletic Director until his retirement. In 2010 Frank was inducted into the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Four years ago, in May 2019, the BHS athletic field, that borders Glenoaks Blvd., was dedicated to Dave Kemp and Frank Kallem, and named "Kemp-Kallem Field" in honor of their dedication to the students of Burbank High School for so many years. Both Frank and Dave spoke at that ceremony, now less than four years ago. Frank attended our BHS '70 reunions in 2010 and 2015. This is a sad day for all of us who knew Frank Kallem.

A FEW FACEBOOK COMMENTS...

Richard P. Butler
Godspeed

Andrew Reid
Loved seeing the coaches jogging the streets together on there break back in the 80s, fortunate to have had him as a pys ed coach

Pamela Spang
Great guy, teacher RIP sir 😔

Deb Helsley Bush
Rest in peace Coach🥲

Rebecca Willis
Rest in Peace, Coach Kallem.

Paolo G Valenzuela
RIP coach

Gilda Hernandez Sanderson
So sorry to see this. Rest in peace Coach. My condolences to the Kallem family.

Donald Anderson
Great coach, great teacher, great mentor and a man to look up to. RIP

Stella Hoefflin
Nice guy

Mike Signorelli
He was a legend! May rest in peace...🙏🙏🙏

Madeline Mongelli
RIP Coach! My condolences to his family.

Ivan Esquivel
❤🏉👊 fly Coach

Kim Correia Dettman
My favorite picture of Kallem. During the teacher’s strike he coached us from the street during a meet.

Steve LeSueur
Great coach, great man

Jeanine Canedo
I’m so sad to hear this😢 Rest in peace Coach

Sean Andrews
RIP Coach!

Susan Ermer
I have wonderful memories of behind-the-wheel Drivers Ed with Coach Kallem. Adventure and great music! 🚘 📻 🎶 RIP.

Renee King
He was great man on and off the field!

Cheryl Bunch Eubanks
RIP coach!

Larry O'Brien
I remember so fondly, what a great coach and teacher.

Jennifer Rogers Doyle
RIP.

Julian Almaraz
He was great coach person a second dad to all of us. It a very sad day RIP coach you will be missed and you are loved by many 💙 😢 🙏 ❤️.

Jim Stonehouse
Rest In Peace, coach. Thank You for the experience, cross country, 64,65

Alan Landros
I've known Frank Kallem for almost 56 years now, since I began at BHS in 1967. I was with him and Dave Kemp all three years that I was at BHS as their Cross Country and Track manager for each season. Frank was also my Health class teacher when I was in 10th grade (which I got an "A" in the class!). It has been wonderful to stay in touch with both of them over all of these years. Frank and Dave were two of my three favorite teachers at BHS (along with Doris Adams), and two of my four all-time favorites from kindergarten through four years of college! This is a sad day for me, but I am glad for Frank that his suffering these last couple of years has now ended. Romans 8:18 !!

Anne Tackett Williams
RIP Coach Kallem. You were a big part of my high school life. You will be dearly missed. Prayers to the family🙏🏻🥲

Kathleen James
Not only A awesome Coach,& teacher, but just a wonderful human being. 🙏 my condolences to his family

Gary Patrick Trotta
Kallen was a great coach... and teacher.

 Susan Rudin
I didn’t know him, but I knew he was a very popular and well loved coach at BHS. I’m sure any one of us could have gone up and started talking to him at any time and he’d be a great mentor. Much love to his family. Thanks for the memories! 🙏

Pam Wright Peterson
RIP coach 😥

Ted Basso
He was my p.e. coach at burbank he his a great person had some much fun with him from 1983 to 1985 RIP COACH KALLEM 🙏 YOU WILL TRULY BE MISSED

Ingela Axelson
Very sad. Great teacher and great human being.

JoAnn Hall
To A Great Man
RIP Coach Kallem

Gary Mills
The two best mentors BHS has ever had Dave Kemp on the left and Frank Kallem on the right.My condolences to the entire Kallem family. Two of our second Dads, inseparable coaches Kemp and Kallem. BHS 1976 Gary Mills

Jason Fon Janota
I remember Mr Kallem and Mr Kemp would run every morning before school Rip Sir.

Rich Hunsaker
Great track coach...

Stacie Kidwell Sandoval
Awww man 🙁 one of my faves

Terry Mencuri
He was a GREAT MAN , RIP coach!

Robin Barber
Frank was my cross country coach in 1967 great man.

Cathy Loveless
Rest in peace Mr. Kallem 😔🙏🏻

Christina Vlachos-Peratsakis
I’m sorry to hear this sad news.🙏🏻

Debra Flannery-Dunn
So sad.

Charmaine Chastain
Although I wasn't an athlete, he was was my driver's training teacher. Godspeed Mr. Kallem. Life well lived.

Hugo Rodriguez
Very sad news RIP Coach K

Margie Turner
I am a grad. 76' he wS so cool. May he rest in peace.

Libby Macris
I remember him so well

Darlene Culotta
I remember him after looking at the younger picture of him.

Nancy Curtiss
I was in his sophomore Biology class, which i loved. He taught me to drive in driver's ed and I was in his summer health and safety class with my sister. These were in, about, 1964. During the health and safety class my mother passed away. He let me sister and I stay out a few extra days and still finish the class. We both passed all the tests and assignments. He was the most caring teacher I ever had. A fun memory is he was on a TV game show and won a big fur coat for his wife. These were definitely popular in the 60s.

Sue Flynn
I'm so sorry
My heart goes out to his family and friends

Lynette Vogt Ballas
So sad! Such a wonderful dedicated inspirational teacher!

Becky Parrish Burras
RIP coach. ❤️

Louise Good Hernandez
😢🙏🏻 I was not athletic, but I definitely remember this coach. 

Carrie Diaz-Lathouwers
My condolences to all his family and friends. He was a great coach. RIP 🙏

Kimberly A Worsley Thom
Very sad news. I remember him as a teacher and a coach! RIP

Kevin Capper
Loved Coach Kallem!! May he rest in peace.🙏🙏

Eric Fischer
He was my dads coach in the late 60s and was still there when I went in 89-92

Scott Cox
Great coach, better person. You will be missed but certainly loved.

Tim Ekeberg
A great all around Coach, Father, and man.
I had family difficulties while at my first year of High School at BHS. I had committed to running cross country, not that I was any good at it, but I was too distracted. However, Coach understood my dilemma and allowed me to transfer into regular PE.
His son was in my grade and though I had moved away, I was saddened to hear of his diving accident.
As a Father and Grandfather, I just can't imagine what Coach Kallem went through.
R.I.P. Coach.

Nicole Peterson
Rest in Peace, Coach. Say hey to my Uncle Merle for me. 🙏

Andrea Robinson
We invited him to our reunion last Oct- I talked with him on the phone for a bit- he said “When we retire, we are invisible, like we don’t exist, he was so happy to be invited. What a kind and friendly man. His wife was too sick to attend so they didn’t make it. We were so ready for him! Rest In Love Sir.”

Cathy Nicholls Coyle

Sadly, I just heard about the passing of Mr. Kallem yesterday. He was my Physical Science teacher in 10th Grade (1964). I was his Secretary in class that took roll each morning. He was a wonderful teacher! He was smart, and had a way about him that made learning fun. He encouraged us to go to the Track Meets to watch his runners race. (There may have been a little bribery involved of bonus points if we went.) He was young & handsome. He used to tell us stories about taking his wife up to Stough Park to neck. He loved his family & was a great example of a teacher that really cared about his students. The photo was taken May, 2019, when the BHS Football Field was dedicated to him & David Kemp. I asked him if he remembered me from his class. He said “Yes!” Thank you Frank Kallem, for that small thrill. You will always be my favorite teacher at Burbank High.

 

Terri Aaseth
RIP Mr. Kallem. I think of you everyday as I navigate the LA Traffic, wishing that every person on that freeway could have taken your driver education class and how much safer the freeways would be if they did!🙏🙏

Michelle Bledsoe
My greatest high school memories were made under the mentorship and coaching of this great man. Thank you! You built a legacy of unending dedication to many. Kim’s picture above is a perfect memory and representation of his dedication and caring coaching.

John P. Johnson
He was a great coach!!

Patti Dobrowolski
He was so caring. He helped me thru some difficult times. RIP

Jodee Bennett
He is loved by so many! Lucky we had him in our lives 😎❤️

Carol Bliss Sheetz
Great teachers are never forgotten. He gave a piece of himself to so many, it's no wonder he was so loved. A life well lived Coach Kallem, RIP.

Cecilia Olga Aguirre Sheehan
RIP Coach Kallem.

Christine Hill
Such a fun Driver Ed teacher! Made you feel at ease and comfortable behind the wheel. Condolences to his family.

Patsy Raymundi
RIP couch nice to all of us at Burbank High 1974 class sorry for your familys loss. Bless and Prayers

Lisa DeHaven
RIP Coach