A shared life of service
John and Beverly Dudley came to the Victor Valley in 1952, the week after they were married in order for John to sign his contract to become a Physical Education teacher at Victor Valley High School. For the first 10 years of his career, “Coach Dudley” coached basketball, football, and tennis. However, as anyone who knew him knew, his first love was tennis.
John was born outside of Chicago, Illinois in 1926. He was the second of six sons, and one daughter, born to Howard and Mary Dudley. Being a child of the Great Depression, his family lived in many different places as his father heard of or searched for work but often returned to California to reside. John gained his love of tennis from his father, who had the older boys build a tennis court in their backyard so he could teach them to play. They played tennis every weekend, sometimes traveling miles to find a court.
He also began coaching tennis at Victor Valley College. He coached there for another 10 years. After retiring completely, John helped Beverly with her many community and landscape projects, though he continued to play tennis when he could. His 80th birthday was spent playing tennis at Pebble Beach Park where he regularly went to pick up a match. John passed away on June 28, 2009. In 2019 the Dudley children were honored to be presented a plaque as Coach John Dudley was inducted into the Victor Valley High School Hall of Fame in recognition of his years there as a teacher and coach.
Beverly was born in 1932 in Pasadena, California to Paul and Pearl Showalter. Her love of music and theater began very early when she won a Shirley Temple look-alike contest when she was a little girl and was offered an MGM contract. Her dad wouldn’t sign the contract.
Beverly was an active member of many clubs throughout the Victor Valley for all of the 64 years she was a resident. She held many leadership roles in both the Victor Valley Junior and Women’s clubs. She was most proud of her chairmanship of the committee that built Center Street Park. In 1963 Beverly and her good friend Dorothy Kling started the Victorville Whirlwinds 4-H Club. She continued as Community Leader for 12 years. She was awarded Citizen of ’76 for “exemplifying the spirit of volunteerism” in her work with both the Jr. Women’s Club and 4-H. Some of Beverly’s most notable accomplishments were: as a board member and president of the Mojave Zoological Association, spearheading the Memorial Grove at the Mojave Narrows, landscape chairman for the Victor Valley Museum, and president of Victor Valley College Friends of the Botanical Gardens, during which time she wrote “Garden Tips” for the local paper.
“Coach Dudley” — PE teacher & tennis coach at Victor Valley High School and VVC for 20+ years
Inducted into the Victor Valley High School Hall of Fame (2019)
Beverly — civic leader who chaired the committee that built Center Street Park
Together in the Victor Valley for 57 years as active community members
Beverly passed away on January 27, 2018. Beverly and John’s ashes are buried together alongside their families at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. A memorial bench dedicated to Beverly can be enjoyed at Center Street Park in Victorville. John and Beverly loved the Victor Valley and their 57 years there together as active members of the community, including their involvement with Victor Valley College. We are honored to continue their legacy of hard work, dedication to the community, and education by offering a small scholarship in their name.
