Catching Up With...Former Park Teacher Darold 'Deb' Wold

Editor's Note: With the first ever St. Louis Park High School All-Year Reunion approaching on Saturday, we're helping kick things off with a week's worth of stories. Today, we profile former Park teacher Darold "Deb" Wold. Earlier this week, we , which is putting on the event. Later this week, look for more interviews with former Park teachers, as well as a history of the high school.

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Chatting with Darold Wold is like opening a basketball encyclopedia.

Wold, nicknamed "Deb" by his grandfather, is quick to relay a story of as an eighth-grader, or of the two state titles won by the St. Louis Park girls over a four-year span.

For 34 years, Wold coached at Park in a variety of capacities, primarily on the hardwood. He started off as the assistant for Lloyd Holm, who coached the boys basketball team from 1949 until 1977.

In 1973, Wold switched to the girls team, first as the junior varsity coach and later as the head varsity coach. He took a short hiatus to watch his sons play basketball their senior years at St. Olaf and St. Louis Park, then returned as a girls varsity assistant—a role he held until 1993.

Along the way, the Orioles went to the state tournament six times, winning titles in 1986 and 1990.

“We had just some tremendous kids,” Wold said.

Wold is also quick to talk about the tremendous kids he had in the classroom. He taught geography, civics and physical education from 1959 until 1991.

“I consider myself one of the luckiest people alive, because it’s just a great community to teach in,” Wold said.

Wold, who still lives in St. Louis Park today, decided to give back to the community after he retired, so he and a few other Park boosters started the St. Louis Park High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

The hall's first class was inducted in 2005, and featured the likes of Petersen, Holm, Erik Rasmussen and Bob Stein. New classes have been inducted every two years since. Wold himself was inducted in 2007.

“It was an incredible honor to be nominated by people that you coached,” he said.

Wold spends a lot of his time these days raising awareness of the hall of fame, as well as building new display cases and plaques—his building has a wood shop downstairs, and Wold is skilled in the craft.

He said he hopes Saturday's All-Year Reunion allows him to tell more people about the hall. He's also looking forward to simply seeing former students, many of whom he's been able to stay in touch with, but many of whom he hasn't.

“I always enjoy visiting with (former students), whether it be a phone call or getting together," Wold said. “I’m just so thankful I became a teacher and had the types of relationships that I’ve had ... The young people kept me young.”

For more information on the St. Louis Park High School Athletic Hall of Fame, visit the athletic department's website and click on "General Info," then "Hall of Fame."

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