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The late Rusty Wilke '56The late Henry R. "Rusty" Wilke was a three-sport star at Hamilton Catholic - significant because at the time, there were only three sports at Hamilton Catholic...football, basketball and golf. Rusty was the starting quarterback on the football team for three years, and led the Rams to an undefeated season in 1954. The' 54 season included big wins on the road over Fairfield and Roger Bacon. Rusty was also the point guard on the basketball team for three years and a member of the starting five on the golf team for four years. In his senior year, Rusty was co-captain of all three sports. Of a possible 12 varsity monograms in his years at CHS, Rusty earned 10. Joe Lofredo, the head coach of both the football and basketball teams, called Rusty his "coach on the field." He always had a great understanding of game situations. If any opponents had a weakness, Rusty would find a way to exploit it. Rusty earned a scholarship to Notre Dame and played football there for three years, in 1957, '58 and '59. After two years in the Army, Rusty and his wife, Barbara - a 1956 Notre Dame High grad -settled in Park Forest, Ill., where they raised four children. Rusty was the co-founder and president of an industrial heating supply company, Central Infra-Red, for more than 45 years. He passed away in 2008. |