Leondas Roy Rambo Sr.

Leondas Roy Rambo Sr. most fondly known as Coach Rambo, was born in Marshall, Texas on April 10, 1934 the only child of Roy Odell Rambo and Valrie McAlister Rambo. He attended grade school and H.E. Pemberton High School in Marshall Texas, and Sacred Heart Catholic High School in San Francisco, CA. He served in the United State Army/Military Police from 1954 to 1956 and was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. After his discharge from the Army, he returned to Wiley College where he played basketball and graduated with his B.S. degree. Leondas also studied at Prairie View A&M, the University of North Texas and received his secondary educational certification at Texas Wesleyan College. His final academic achievement was completion of his Master of Education from Tarleton State University.

Coach Rambo began his career with the Fort Worth ISD in 1960, where he taught art, other subjects and coached spring relays at M.M. Walton (Rosedale Park) E.S. He also taught at Dunbar J.H. and Stripling M.S. In 1971 he joined the staff of Dunbar Senior High School where he spent the remainder of his career teaching physical education and coaching the young men and women of the Stop Six community. The numerous sports he coached included football, track and volleyball in addition to the Freshman and JV basketball teams. The tenure for which he is most well-known, was Assistant Varsity Coach for the Dunbar Flying Wildcats, with Hall of Fame and lifelong friend Coach Robert Hughes. Their record included multiple district and regional championships, trips to the state final four and two State Championship wins in 1993 and 2003. Other highlights included coaching the Texas All-Star Basketball Game and the McDonalds All American High School Basketball Game and the privilege of leading a group of senior basketball players representing Fort Worth Sister-Cites to Reggio Emilia, Italy. Leondas officially retired from FWISD in 1997 but, as noted above he continued to serve the District Athletics and Dunbar until 2005.

In 1971 he met Lynn Allen, who also taught for the FWISD. They married in 1973 in East Fort Worth where they raised a family and lived and laughed and loved for 45 years.

Leondas was a devout catholic and long-time member of St. Rita’s Catholic Church. He served regularly as an usher and was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He had numerous friends in the community, who may fondly remember seeing him out and about in his 1975 yellow Chevy Nova. Always an athlete he regularly worked out in his retirement years with his friends and partners at the Eastside YMCA. Coach and Lynn moved from their longtime residence on the Eastside to north Fort Worth in2018. He died at home with his family on Tuesday, December 15 from a palsy condition that began in September.

Coach Rambo is preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Valrie Rambo and many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lynn Rambo;

Son Leondas Roy Rambo Jr and his wife Denisha Rambo;

Daughters Sharilyn Rambo, Pamela Rambo Sexton and her husband Robert Sexton, Mary Hudnall and her husband Coleman Hudnall and Rebekah Rambo

Grandchildren Taylor Estill, Madison Sexton, Caroline and Henry Hudnall and Darnell and Uriell Rambo and three great-grandchildren.