Former Nicolet High School tennis coach J. Cary Bachman passed away at the age of 93 on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Bachman began coaching at the school in 1957. During his 40-year tenure, both his boy's and girl's tennis teams won 33 WIAA State Championships and finished second eight times. According to a news release, his teams hold the record for the most consecutive titles won: eight in a row from 1967 to 1974.
He coached until he retired in 1996. Bachman was inducted into the first class of the Nicolet High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. He was also chairman of Nicolet's Physical Education Department from 1960 to 1996.
Bachman was the vice president of the U.S. Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) for two years and president for another two years. He was inducted into the USPTA-Midwest Division Tennis Hall of Fame as a Master Pro in 1995. Bachman also sparked efforts to start the Milwaukee Tennis Classic in 1974, according to a news release.
The new Nicolet High School tennis complex will be named in Bachman's honor. It is currently under development.
Bachman was born on July 20, 1929, in Gainesville, Florida. He played football all four years for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After graduating in 1952, he married his college sweetheart Helen "Petie" Schlueter. The two celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary earlier this year. Petie died six weeks before Bachman. Together they share four children and six grandchildren.
A celebration of Bachman's life is scheduled at Feerick Funeral Home in Shorewood on Friday, Nov. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
