Bill and Debbie Gohlke will receive the inaugural Lifetime Condor Award to be presented at the OC Athletic Alumni Association Hall of Fame Banquet on May 26 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Conference Center.
There have been many achievements in Oxnard College Athletics over the years, but none greater than the contributions made by Bill and Deborah Gohlke. From their financial contributions to elevate the baseball, softball, and basketball teams, to their regular attendance at many OC home sporting events, to their scholarship supporting student-athletes, Bill and Debbie are extraordinary Condors. Their support over the years inspired unimaginable opportunities and create too many legacies to count. It’s fitting that they’re the initial awardees of the Lifetime Condor Award.
The 2nd Annual OCAAA Hall of Fame Banquet begins at 5:00pm on Friday, May 26. The entire community is invited to celebrate the impact Bill and Debbie have place on Oxnard College and its student-athletes, as well as the significance of two Hall of Fame recipients: Jeremiah Massey and Randi Walters.
Bill was born in Long Beach, California and raised in the San Fernando Valley. He attended and graduated from Glendale Community College with an A.A. degree, CSUN with a Bachelor’s degree, and Woodbury University with a Master’s in Business Administration. He pursued a 25-year career in project management, working on various construction and refinery projects in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Dammam, Saudi Arabia; and New Orleans, Louisiana. His love of reading took him to San Jose State University where he obtained a Masters in Library and Information Science degree. Bill and his mother Stephanne wanted reprieve from the hot Burbank heat and relocated to the cooler climate of Port Hueneme in the late 1990’s. He then began a short career as a reference librarian at the Oxnard Public Library, retiring there in 2008. His favorite past time is playing golf and is long time member of the Olivas Senior Men’s Club.
Debbie was born in Owatonna, Minnesota to Mary & Wayne Walker. A transfer to Port Hueneme Naval Battalion brought the Walker family to Oxnard. Debbie attended Oxnard and Rio Mesa High Schools and eventually found her passion in cosmetology, working for 50 years as a stylist and salon owner.
Bill and Debbie met in 2003. After a 5-year courtship they were married onboard Royal Caribbean’s “Serenade of the Seas” in Juneau, AK. In 2006, while working full time in her salon she began pursuit of her Associate Degree in Science and business certificates at Oxnard College; so began a nine-year educational journey. Taking one class a semester, then two, then three, she finally graduated in 2015 with a Certificate of Achievement as Administrative Assistant, her A.S., and earned a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society membership. During her time at OC Debbie and Bill attended many athletic events in basketball and baseball. Debbie considered her time at Oxnard College as one of the best times of her life. As a thank you to her time at OC, Debbie and Bill established an Athletic Scholarship.
Debbie & Bill enjoy traveling by train and cruise ships. Debbie’s hobbies are baking, crafting, puzzling (crossword and jigsaw), running in 5k’s, tap dancing and especially, her 35-year membership in Soroptimist International of Oxnard.
For details about the 2nd Annual OC Athletic Alumni Association Hall of Fame Banquet, visit www.oxnardcollegefoundation.org/ocaaahof2023/.
