Recent Tributes

The Tributes are the most recent stories and comments added to the memorial. To add a new story or comment, you may visit the Stories link in the main navigation.

  • 12/19/2012: New Story added: NDHS 1973 GRAD REMEMBERS!

    Dear Marcia, Nick and Katie, Many NDHS aqautic alumni got our fall "Knight Letter" just last month only to learn of Coach Kaufman's passing and the long struggle that afflicted him.  Be assured future donations to the The ...

  • 06/20/2012: New Story added: My Memories of Chris...

    I met Chris in the late 90’s dating my future wife, Lorena, while I finished up at UCLA. This is how I was lucky enough to get to know Chris. With Katie back from her days in the desert, she and Lorena were rekindling their school friendship ...

  • 06/01/2012: New Story added: My Brother-in Law (love)

     Chris and I both married into the Wuertz clan and our lives came together at family celebrations.  I thank God for our friendship over the years.  It was a very special bond being the "outlaws" of the inlaws!  I looked ...

  • 05/23/2012: New Story added: Remembering Uncle Chris

    Growing up, I always looked forward to seeing Uncle Chris when we were together as an extended family.  Some of my memories included an early morning wake up call (i.e. jumping on Uncle Chris and Auntie Marcia on the couch in our living room) ...

  • 05/23/2012: New Story added: Chris most of all was my friend

    I have known Chris, Marcia and the family for so long, I have forgotten when we first met. But I don't think it is possible to forget Chris. He had a great influence on my life as we shared so many things. Long talks about family, miles and miles ...

  • 05/20/2012: New Story added: Birmingham Buzz

    When Chick and I first met Chris he was in the earliest stages of this cruel disease.  Both Chris and Chick  recounted the "Birmingham buzz" and regaled in coaching tales "out of school." It saddened both of us that ...

  • 05/15/2012: New Story added: A Good Man

    I was a sophomore at Notre Dame High School when Chris arrived as our water polo and swimming coach.  For reasons I still don't understand, all the busses we chartered for our away meets had a loudspeaker/intercom system (maybe so the bus ...

  • 05/13/2012: New Story added: Notre Dame alum

    My deepest condolences to Marcia and family. I remember when Nick was born, Chris came to practice just beaming!  Coach was not only a great coach and mentor, but also a friend to his players and swimmers.  He was tough to get us in shape, ...

  • 05/13/2012: New Story added: Notre Dame alum

    My deepest condolences to Marcia and family. I remember when Nick was born, Chris came to practice just beaming!  Chris was not only a great coach and mentor to us players, but a friend also.  He was  tough on us to get us in great ...

  • 05/13/2012: New Story added: My Uncle

    The nickname Uncle Chris gave me as a child was the one I loved best~ Paprika.  This clever nickname illustrated to me Uncle Chris' warm and gentle way of interacting.  People often use nicknames to taunt or put down; this showed me ...

  • 05/13/2012: Katie Epstein added a comment to Memories with Mr. K

    Thank you Tammy for sharing...I have not seen that picture of us dancing since you first got your pictures back...Thanks for finding it and sharing! XXOO, Katie

  • 05/13/2012: Katie Epstein added a comment to Notre Dame High School

    Thank you for sharing! You would have thought that with my Dad's gene's I would have been a decent swimmer. But I was on the JV team and always swam in the 6th and slowest lane! So...I hear you on the speed thing! Thanks again for ...

  • 05/13/2012: Katie Epstein added a comment to Visiting Papa

    Thank you for writing something Cassidy! I love you! XXOO, Mommy

  • 05/13/2012: New Story added: Notre Dame High School

    I was on the swimteam at Notre Dame High School when Coach got there in 1968 (obvioulsy I joined the team after he formed it). I wrote a long story about Coach and clicked "Publish Story" and I do not think that it went through. It took ...

  • 05/13/2012: New Story added: Notre Dame High School

    I am one of the former students of Notre Dame High School (NDHS) in Sherman Oaks that was on the swim team. My first year at NDHS was 1968, the same year that Coach  (Chris Kaufman) started at NDHS. I can remember my mother picking me up after ...

  • 05/12/2012: New Story added: Memories with Mr. K

    I met Mr. K when I was 5 years old. Katie and I quickly became friends in Kindergarten. I have many fond memories of spending time at the Bywood house with the Kaufmans. Whether Mr. K was checking in on us in Katie's "disorganized" room, ...

  • 05/11/2012: New Story added: Visiting Papa

    "I liked when Kaden was pushing Grandpa in a wheelchair.  I was a baby then.  I saw him lots of times.  I liked when he squeezed my hand." Love, Cassidy  

  • 05/11/2012: New Story added: Godspeed Chris...

     My wife Cameron and I were only lucky enough to meet Chris once or twice.  But his kind and generous and gentle wife, Marcia, and his amazingly hospitable and patient and sweet and gentle daughter Katie all speak to his legacy.  He ...

  • 05/09/2012: New Story added: Remembering Coach K

    Thanks to the Kaufman family for this site and an opportunity to share and see/hear stories of our Coach. I am sorry for your loss and please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers as is Coach K. I remember hearing a few years back that Coach ...

  • 05/06/2012: Kurt Krueger added a comment to Teacher, Mentor, Counselor, Friend

    Chris was one of the people that lit up your day. I got to know him in 1964 when we were playing Water Polo for the first time - at LA Valley College. We were friends immediately getting to swim together through his first year at the U. of Colorado. ...

  • 05/06/2012: dan kimber added a comment to Main Story

    My good friend Chris Kaufman has ended his long struggle and is at last free from a body that has suffered too long in this life. I have missed him for some years now; missed a kindred spirit, whose wonderful, complex mind has steadily retreated ...

  • 05/06/2012: New Story added: Dinner with Friends

    I like remembering this evening, the four of us had dinner together.

  • 05/06/2012: New Story added: Teacher, Mentor, Counselor, Friend

    Chris had a special gift, he inspired others to be their best. Please share your thoughts!

  • 05/05/2012: New Story added: My Son in Law

    My memories of Chris are like going through a photo album.  Each snapshot brings a smile or a chuckle as I remember that particular day. He was family and so dearly loved.

  • 05/05/2012: New Story added: Chris, the early years

    A few pictures of Chris when he was fairly young.

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: My Father In-Law

    One of the greatest compliments I received from Katie was Chris and I shared many similar traits.  We both have a love of exercise, blondes with freckles on their nose, surfing and the ocean, a taste for whiskey, and hobbies that are ...

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Friends and more friends

    Friends were such an important part of Chris' life, I only wish we had more photos. PLEASE upload any pictures you would like to add, the family would love to see them.

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Chris was a character

    Chris had a wonderful sense of humor which is evident in the photos included here.

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Always an Athlete!

    Chris was always on the go. Bowling in his younger years, then on to swimming, running and biking. He knew what it was like to train and I think it helped him be a better coach. He continued to workout and compete on the master's level.

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: The Whole Family

    A gallery of pictures through the years that include Chris' family, my family, and our family!

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Just the four of us

    The family throughout the years.

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Yosemite

    Yosemite was a special place that Chris held near to his heart and our home had the requisite Ansel Adams photos. Over the years he was able to take several groups of students to the Yosemite Institute for a week long adventure. ...

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Music in our house

    It’s funny, I don’t normally think about father as a musician. Lots of other things: a coach,  a teacher, a therapist, an artist, an athlete, the guy who took students to Yosemite. But for some reason not a ...

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: Being Daddy's Little Girl

    I will always remember being Daddy's little girl.  I looked forward to going  on "dates with daddy," and continued to enjoy time with Dad as a teen and adult. Besides the normal trips to Disneyland, he took me to my first ...

  • 05/04/2012: New Story added: My High School Friend

    Chris was a senior when I was a freshman at Birmingham High School.  He was a pretty hot guy on the swim team.....he married my best friend and the two of them looked pretty hot together!   They always inspired me as they grew ...

  • 05/03/2012: New Story added: Surfing with my dad

    Katie and I grew up around pools, so it probably didn’t come as a huge surprise to our parents when I wanted to start surfing in 7th grade. Problem was, we lived in Glendale. One day the family was at the swap meet, and I found a used ...

  • 05/03/2012: New Story added: "That Teacher"

    Growing up as a kid on the high school campuses, where my Dad taught, was a lot of fun.  I have such fond memories of walking around each campus that he worked and feeling pretty special.  No doubt it was because Dad was admired and loved ...

  • 05/03/2012: New Story added: Coach's Son

    Many of you remember my father as Coach Kaufman. I do too. I loved growing up on the various pool decks around Glendale, and getting to see him coach and interact with the teams is one of my fondest memories. It even overflowed into our house when ...

  • 05/03/2012: New Story added: The Coaching Years

    Swimming and water polo were always a wonderful part of the Kaufman family life. Nick and Katie grew up with the smell of chlorine and the tweet of a coach's whistle. They had lots of older brothers and sisters with the team members and dinner hour ...

  • 05/03/2012: New Story added: Chris & Marcia through the years

    I can remember being on a double date at Disneyland in 1965 and thinking the other guy, not my date, was really cute. He was so tan, had this white blonde hair, a big smile and he was really funny. That was Chris! Oh how I ...