Editor’s note, March 26: The date of celebration of life is now on Sat., June 6.
Dan Conners was born in Pasadena, California, in 1945 to Mary Anna and Bill Conners. Bill, a B-24 pilot in the Pacific during World War II, had briefly returned to the states for training. Dan spent the rest of his life explaining his birthday; not many children of WWII veterans were born in March 1945.
Soon after the war, the Conners moved to Tahoe City with their young family. Their cousins, the Bechdolts, were proprietors of the Tahoe Inn. By 1950, Bill had established one of the few gas stations in Tahoe City where Cobblestone East now stands. It quickly became a community hub for the small number of year-round residents.
Dan Conners was a skier and competed alongside local legends Jimmy Heuga and Spider Sabich. His cousin Cheryl Bechdolt was a world champion skier, and his childhood best friend was Mike Marvin, writer and producer of Hot Dog… The Movie.
Mike once said, “It was beautiful watching Dan ski. He was graceful — almost like dancing on the snow.”
One of Dan’s first jobs was as a film runner for the Associated Press during the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley. At just 15, he skied rolls of film to the base so they could reach the press before competitors’ submissions.
Dan was also a golfer, like all Conners, learning the game at the Tahoe City Golf Course. Owned by Carl Bechdolt, the course was a second home to Dan.
As a kid, Dan raked traps and shagged balls during summers. He caddied for celebrities performing at Cal Neva, including members of the Rat Pack like Bob Hope and Mickey Rooney. He later became pro golfer Ken Venturi’s caddie at the lake. On one occasion, Venturi realized he’d left his wallet behind when it came time to pay Dan. Instead, he handed Dan his putter. Dan played with that 1962 copper putter, engraved “Ken Venturi Personal,” for the rest of his life. Venturi won the U.S. Open in 1964.
Dan was famously political on the golf course. “I’d rather be a Republican than have that putt!” or “Do you know why Democrats are better than Republicans? Have you ever heard of a good piece of elephant?” He was a liberal in a red county, but he always got a laugh.
At 14, Dan left home to pursue a life of service in the Catholic Church, a common path for second-born sons of Irish Catholic families in the 1950s. He gave it an earnest try but eventually developed doubts. Anyone who knew Dan also knew that a vow of celibacy was not a realistic expectation.
He left the seminary to attend the University of San Francisco. After graduation, he began a career in juvenile corrections, followed by work as a probation officer in San Mateo County. He quickly realized that being a cop wasn’t for him but helping at-risk kids was.
In 1976, Dan quit his job, sold his first house, and took his wife, their 7- and 5-year-old sons, and the family dog on almost a year- long journey around the United States during the Bicentennial. Traveling to national parks and historic sites helped him decide where to settle and how to serve. He returned to Placer County, made Auburn his forever home, and found his forever job.
If you were an at-risk child, or the parent of one, between 1977 and 2004, Dan likely helped you. And if you didn’t need his help, chances are you knew someone who did.
Dan worked with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, then served as a social worker for health and human services in foster care, child protective services, and the family and juvenile courts. He ended his career as director of the GAIN Program (Greater Avenues for Independence), which later evolved into CalWORKs. Dan helped thousands of families, especially children, throughout his career.
From 1981 to 1983, Dan took a break from county service to become director of Holly Acres/Motherload School in Weimar, a residential program for teens in the system. When the school eventually closed and was sold, Dan founded the nonprofit Motherload Youth and Family Services Foundation using the proceeds. To date, the Motherload Foundation has donated more than $1 million to the Auburn community and continues its work today.
Dan is survived by his former wife, co-parent, and lifelong friend Sue Conners; sons Scott Conners and Lieutenant Ty Conners; granddaughters Sky, Shiloh, and Megan; three great-grandchildren; three younger sisters; and countless cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Dan Conners’ family and friends invite you to a memorial on the patio of the Tahoe City Golf Course on June 6 at noon. The day before is the 31st Annual Two Bills Memorial Golf Tournament. Bill Conners and Bill Bechdolt were two of the most important men in Dan’s life, and the tournament remains the largest annual fundraiser for the Tahoe City Recreation Association.
If Dan Conners touched your life in a positive way — or if you knew someone he helped — please consider donating in his name to the Tahoe City Recreation Association. Honoring Dan by supporting the next generation, especially in the community that meant so much to him, is a fitting way to carry his legacy forward.
