George Hoos, a well-known figure in the Colorado golf community who helped the University of Colorado win two conference titles, coached a national junior champion in high school and was the patriarch of an accomplished golf family, died Sunday in Boulder County at age 84.
Hoos, an Erie native and longtime resident of Boulder, had been battling leukemia.
“It’s with a very sad heart to say that my very best friend, a loving husband and dad, George Hoos, passed away today, surrounded by his family,” son Eric wrote on Facebook on Sunday. “He’s affected so many people’s lives in such a positive way it’s unbelievable. He was a great teacher and mentor and will be sorely missed but never forgotten. Love you so very much and everyone already really misses you. Play away dad.”
(George Hoos is pictured with wife Jean.)
Hoos played golf at CU under coach Les Fowler from 1953-55, with the Buffs winning the Big 7 Conference title in 1954, when Hoos placed third individually and teammate Keith Alexander won the tournament. CU shared the conference crown in 1955. Hoos also played on two Buffs’ teams that competed in the NCAA Championship Finals as CU placed 15th in 1954 and 31st in ’55. Hoos was CU’s top finisher at the ’55 nationals.
Hoos served as the boys golf coach at Fairview High School in Boulder for 30 years, starting in 1960, and led the Knights to state team titles in 1969 and ’73. In addition, three Fairview players won individual state championships in a five-season stretch — Pete Dawson in 1969, Tim Brauch in 1970 and Bob Byman in 1973.
Byman remains one of the most accomplished junior golfers in state history. Now a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer, he won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 1972 while still in high school, defeating Scott Simpson in the finals. That same year, he qualified for the U.S. Open, which was held at Pebble Beach, where Jack Nicklaus won.
Also during his high school years — age 16 to 18 — Byman won three consecutive CGA Amateurs, joining Hale Irwin as the only players to have pulled off that feat. And in 1973, he earned the individual state high school title while Hoos’ Knights earned the team championship.
“Bob was 16 going on 26,” Hoos once said. “He was a very mature player at that point. He had all the shots, and the head to go along with it. He was a hard worker, good competitor, super organized and mature beyond his years. We had other kids that played very well, but they weren’t the whole package that Bob was.”
Hoos also helped establish the girls golf program at Fairview.
Two of Hoos’ own kids became very accomplished golfers in their own right and were tour professionals for a time. Son Eric won a Web.com Tour event in 1991 and was the longtime head coach of the University of Denver men’s golf program. And daughter Kristine (now Kristine Franklin) won the CGA Women’s Stroke Play in 1986 and recently captured the title in the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play.
After that win in August, Franklin dedicated the victory to her dad.
“I really wanted to do this for my dad,” said Franklin, who returned to competitive golf just last year after a layoff of 18 years. “I just can’t wait to tell my dad (about winning).
“I get so much joy from watching my kids play. I didn’t realize that back when I played that my parents got that much joy.”
One of Franklin’s sons — and George Hoos’ grandsons — is Walker Franklin, who’s among the top junior golfers in the state and who plays his high school golf at Prospect Ridge Academy. Franklin’s other son, Jaxon, used to play golf at Prospect Ridge, where Eric is now the head coach of the boys program and Kristine an assistant coach. Jon Hoos, another son of George Hoos, has had three of his kids play golf at Legacy High School — Morgan, Andrea and Grant — and Andrea currently competes in college golf at The Citadel in South Carolina. Jon Hoos himself played golf at Fairview and at Scottsdale Community College before later becoming a club professional.
Services for George Hoos are planned for Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Boulder (3485 Stanford Ct.).
