John Hardin Oldham, age 91, of San Jose, California passed away on Saturday, February 24, 2024.

John Oldham made a name for himself as a winning and much-loved baseball coach at the high school, junior college, and college levels. He is one of the finest baseball players and most successful coaches to come from San Jose, California. Baseball and family were most important to him, he cherished his time with both.

John Oldham was born in 1932, his father, Frank, was 24 and his mother, Irma, was 23. He was born in Gilroy, California. Oldham lived in Salinas and Vallejo as a child before his family settled in Santa Cruz, California where he began to play sandlot baseball. He did not play organized baseball until his family moved to Campbell in the late 1940s. There he became a standout player at Campbell High School, where he pitched on the varsity squad for four years. After being named the top player in the 1950 North-South Prep All-Star Game, he went on to pitch for the Spartans of San Jose State University on a scholarship. Oldham was a three-year letter winner, from 1952 through 1954. A member of the school's Hall of Fame, Oldham still holds the Spartans' career and single-season records for strikeouts and walks; he also ranks among the school's top ten for career wins, and career and single-season innings pitched. In the off-season he played for the Humboldt Crabs and was the first player from the organization to enter the Major Leagues.

Oldham was signed by the Cincinnati Reds out of San Jose State in 1954 as a pitcher. He spent that season with the minor league Columbia Reds of the South Atlantic League. In 1955, he pitched for the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League, and in 1956, the Cincinnati Reds called Oldham up to the major leagues. Oldham batted right and threw left-handed, which was itself unusual: (about 3% of all MLB players) hit right and threw left. Oldham left the Cincinnati Reds in 1958 after an injury to begin a long career of teaching, coaching, and mentoring.

Oldham first made his transition into a career of coaching at Campbell High School, and later to Westmont High School, where he led his teams to championships during most of the seven years he coached. In 1966 Oldham transferred to San Jose City College where he coached and taught classes for the next 18 years and led his teams to 390 wins and five conference titles. Oldham’s next opportunity came in 1985 with the Broncos of Santa Clara University, where he spent the next 12 years leading the team to four NCAA appearances and three West Coast Conference championships. After Oldham ‘retired’ in 1997, he accepted an invitation to coach the San Jose Spitfires, a professional ladies baseball team, and won the league championship that same year. When the program folded mid-season the following year, Oldham was hired by the California League where he spent the next few years supervising and managing the minor leagues umpires. During that same time, and over the course of the next 20 years, Oldham selflessly volunteered his time coaching at Leigh, Los Gatos, and Leland high schools and West Valley and Santa Clara colleges, helping lead teams to numerous championships. Along the way he mentored countless youth athletes, some of whom have also now played professional baseball and have since started coaching careers of their own. Oldham was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2008 as one of the most respected baseball coaches and players of his time.

Oldham’s surviving family members are his beloved wife Maryann Oldham, whom he often called a Saint (and she is), his 3 daughters Terryl McFarland, Kilene Lewis, and Cindy Oldham. Son in Law Jim McFarland, grandchildren Jason and his wife Heather McFarland, Blake and his wife Jessica McFarland, Brodie and Brett Lewis, and Dakota and Haley Griffiths. Oldham is also survived by his great grandchildren Harper, Miles, and Coby McFarland.

Oldham will be remembered by many as a great coach and mentor with a quick wit and sharp mind. To his family, he will always be Dad, Big Thunder, Papa, Scary ha ha, the storyteller and magic man, the patriarch. We know he is watching over us all and enjoying our laughter as always.

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/san-jose-ca/john-oldham-11682791