Victor M. Rimkus, Jr

VICTOR M. RIMKUS obit

HUDSON- Victor M. Rimkus, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, father-in-law, godfather, friend, teacher and coach, died peacefully at his home, 18 Cottage St., on Dec. 3, following a lengthy illness.  He was a social studies teacher, and coach of football and tennis for 35 years at Hudson High School, retiring in 1993.

Rimkus was born on Oct. 31, 1931 in Marlborough, to the late Victor and Anna (Tamulevicz) Rimkus and was a lifelong resident. He was a 1949 graduate of Hudson High School, where he starred in football, hockey and baseball.  He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in 1953 where he won All American nominations in football.

He was co-winner of the O’Melia Trophy as the outstanding player in the Holy Cross-Boston College football game in 1952 and played in the College East-West Shrine game in San Francisco and the College All Star game in Chicago in 1952.

Following a try-out with the Green Bay Packers, Rimkus enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant. At Parris Island, S.C., he trained Marine recruits and played for the Parris Island football team, where he was named to the All-Marine and All-Navy Football team in 1955. He served seven years in the active Marine Reserves and was discharged as a Captain.

In 1956-57 he was a teacher-coach at St. Patrick’s High School, Berlin, N.H., where his baseball team won the Class M State Championship. He coached football for one year at Hopkinton High School before being appointed social studies teacher and head football coach at his alma mater, Hudson High School in 1958.  He also coached varsity tennis for 25 years and continued as jayvee tennis coach for several years. His HHS football teams made four Super Bowl appearances, won a Super Bowl championship in 1991, and a Class C East Mass Championship.  His 1980 HHS tennis team won the Class B State Championship.

In 1971 he was inducted into the Holy Cross College Hall of Fame. In 1988 Rimkus received the Pilgrim Award from the Mass. State Am-Vets for Community Service and Leadership.  In 1989 he was honored by Hudson High as a “Distinguished Graduate.”  In 2005 he received the Phil O’Connell Award for his service to the Holy Cross Varsity Club.  He is also a member of the Massachusetts Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

In earlier years, was a writer and photographer with the Hudson News-Enterprise and Worcester Telegram & Gazette.  In those days his photos bore the line “Photo by Vic.”

He was an incorporator of the Hudson Municipal Federal Employees Credit Union and served on the credit committee for 50 years. He is past president and active member of the Hudson Historical Society. He was one of the founders of the Hudson High Athletic Hall of Fame, served as its chairman, and was inducted in 1999.  He was a 65-year lifetime member of the Hudson-Concord Elks Lodge #959.

Active in Senior hockey and Senior tennis until about ten years ago, he was a member of two National Senior Hockey Championship teams.  He played in the Over 70’s Olympics at Lake Placid and Buffalo for the Worcester Rusty Blades. In Senior tennis, he and his partner, Bob Rocheleau won Mass. Senior Games doubles titles in 1974 and 1979.  No one loved sports participation more than Vic Rimkus. The Riverside Park Clubhouse was named in his honor upon his retirement.

He dearly loved his family, camping, clamming, completing the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, travel, reading the daily paper, creating Christmas ornaments for family and friends, and making Lithuanian korcha bread for the holidays.  After his retirement from teaching he was involved in woodworking in his home workshop, making many gifts for his large family and friends, and creating historic videos.

Because of his interest in history and filmography, he created three documentaries: “History of Athletics in Hudson”, “History of Hudson World War II Veterans” and “History of Hudson Memorials.”   They have been shown at Hudson Historical Society meetings and on local HUD-TV.

For about 20 years he served as a lector and funeral Mass altar-server at the former Christ King Church and St. Michael Church.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of  64 years, Rosemary (MacPherson) Rimkus and they had eight children: Joan, wife of  Michael Wotton of  Rockland; the late Michael Rimkus, Peter Rimkus and his wife Debora of  Coventry, CT., Andrew Rimkus and his wife Deborah of  Bainbridge Island, WA., the late Martin Rimkus, Julie Rimkus and her spouse, Camille Derricotte of  Tucson, AZ.,  Martha Rimkus of  Hudson, his principal caretaker to the end, and Matthew Rimkus of  Groton.  All his children participated in his care throughout his four-year battle with multiple myeloma.   His survivors also include his beloved ten grandchildren, his sister, Barbara Mungeam of Hudson, eight Godchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Waking hours will be held Monday, Dec. 9 from 4-8 p.m. at the Tighe-Hamilton Regional Funeral Home, 50 Central St., Hudson. Mass of Christian Burial will take place Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. at St. Michael Church, Manning St., Hudson.  Burial service with military honors will follow at the Saint Michael Cemetery.

The family wishes to thank home health aides Precious and Laurie of Comfort-Zone Home Services, and the staff of Metro-West Hospice Service for their kind and loving assistance in recent months. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Michael Parish, 21 Manning St., Hudson MA 01749.