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To die, to sleep;
To sleep! perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,… Hamlet III, 1
Frederic (Buzz) Edward Rainer
July 27, 1931 ~ May 11, 2007
CARMEL – Frederic (Buzz) Edward Rainer, 75, beloved husband, father, grandfather, teacher and coach, died peacefully in the early morning hours of May 11, 2007, with his family at his side.
Buzz was born in Riverside, CA on July 27, 1931. He grew up in Claremont, CA and graduated from Claremont High School in 1949. He attended college at USC where he played football his freshman year. He received both his BS (1954) and Masters Degree in Education (1955) from USC. He was a brother in the Kappa Alpha Fraternity.
Buzz met Barbara McBurney, his wife of 54 years, in the 6th grade. They were married in 1952 and moved to Carmel in 1955. Buzz was hired by Warren Edwards, then-principal of Carmel High School where Buzz taught passionately for 33 years. During his tenure he coached a variety of sports, including, football, track, basketball, and golf. During his teaching career, Buzz took two sabbaticals; one year at Cambridge University, England in 1963 and another year in 1978 at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. During a two year leave of absence from Carmel (1967-69), he taught English at the American Community School of Athens, Greece. Upon retiring from Carmel High School in 1988, he continued to teach for another eight years at The York School (Monterey). He loved teaching and often said "I never really worked a day in my life."
Buzz was a member of the Diogenes Club, and loved preparing quizzes for fellow Sherlockians. He was a member and the scribe for the Knights of the Vine. Recently he joined the local International Club of Carmel. He served as a volunteer for the Carmel Highlands Fire Dept. and later was appointed to their Board of Directors. He also served on the Harrison Memorial Library Book Committee. Buzz loved to travel embarking on many wild adventures with his wife, family and special friends. Trip highlights, to mention a couple, included rafting the Zambezi River and hiking the Inca trail. He shared his enthusiasm for travel with his students, chaperoning many trips to Europe. Buzz could be found on the golf course when not in the classroom. To his delight, he was invited to play in the Crosby Pro-Am (twice). Buzz also enjoyed bird watching, astronomy and chasing solar eclipses. Buzz's greatest gift by far was his love of literature. He wrote and recited verse to the delight of many. He composed hundreds of poems and published one of them in a book illustrated by Eldon Dedini. He was also working on two new books; one about his childhood experiences and another, about the joy he received from teaching, inspired by the hundreds of letters he's received from past students.
Buzz is survived by his wife Barbara; son, Ted and wife Debra, of Yardley, PA; son, Scott and Grace of Carmel; daughter, Jeanie of Oakland, CA; and three grandchildren: Robert, David, and Dawni Rainer, all of whom loved him dearly. His father, mother and sister preceded him in death.
There will be a memorial gathering at Carmel High School on Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 11:00 a.m., on the football field. For further information, call 831-624-3790. Memorial contributions may be made to the Buzz Rainer Memorial Scholarship fund, Carmel High School, P.O. Box 222780, Carmel, CA 93922.
Good night sweet prince.
~Published in The Monterey Herald on May 31, 2007
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