Oakland Tribune 2 - fair useWilliam Samuel "Willie" Steele (July 14, 1923 – September 19, 1989) was an Olympic athlete and later a director at de Fremery Recreation Center.
Steele served as a private in WWII.
Steele won the Gold medal in the long jump at the 1948 London Olympics. 1 He began working at the de Fremery Recreation Center in 1954 2, and he served as a director in the City Parks and Recreation department.
According to 1954 Oakland Tribune articles, Steele came to Oakland in 1954 to work at de Fremery, and had worked for the 6 years before that for San Diego parks and rec. 2 He had the top score on the civil service exam for full time recreation director. 3
Death and Burial
Steele retired in 1988, and died in 1989 after a battle with cancer. He is buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery.
Links and References
- Willie Steele on Wikipedia
- New Coaching Era Ahead for Track Oakland Tribune April 28, 1954
- Willie Steele Set For Post Here Oakland Tribune April 9, 1954
- Willie Steele on sports-reference.com
- Steele, Willie S. on blackpast.org
- PFC Willie Samuel Steele on FindAGrave.com