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Paul Yokote was for many years the unofficial ambassador for Loomis and the community's greatest supporter of Del Oro High School activities.
Paul, whose heritage was Japanese-American, contracted polio while incarcerated in an internment camp during World War II. He was wheelchair-bound for over fifty years but he never let his affliction slow him down.
Paul's life changed forever beginning in 1959 with the opening of Del Oro High School. Paul's niece Jackie, his brother Jack's daughter, was in the first graduating class, and thanks to the intervention of coach and counselor Bob Bonner, Paul became the football team's statistician. Soon Paul began taking photographs of the games and players with an ancient 35 mm camera, and his newspaper photography career started soon afterward. For many years Paul's photographs graced the pages of the Loomis News and the Roseville Press-Tribune.
In 1968, Paul made the hard decision to move into Loomis from his family's ranch to his familiar Paul's Place downtown. Soon Paul settled in and Paul's Place would, every night, be hopping to the joy and laughter of often dozens of Paul's Place People -- Del Oro students and their friends. At Paul's Place, the rules were strict -- no drugs, no alcohol, respect each other -- you can be like a family where you disagree or even fight -- but ultimately respect each other, work together, and do the right thing for yourself, your family, and your community. And Paul was the counselor and everyone's best friend.
Over the years, Paul attended hundreds of birthdays, anniversaries, class reunions, crab feeds, awards ceremonies, social events, Loomis Lions Club meetings, and thousands of Del Oro sporting events and school activities. With his trusty camera Paul became the chronicler of Loomis life. And always his first love was Del Oro High School and his beloved Golden Eagles.
As time passed, the seed of an idea began to germinate in Paul's mind -- to harness all this Paul's Place energy into an organization that can give back to the community. In 1986, Paul's dream became a reality with the establishment of Paul's Place Association, a state and federal registered non-profit organization designed primarily to offer college scholarships to Del Oro graduates. Annually, the organization awards four scholarships -- three Paul Yokote Memorial Scholarships and one Robert K. Bonner Memorial Scholarship -- and assists community projects.
On December 13, 1996, Paul Yokote died at the age of 71. His legacy of love, commitment, and community service will long serve as an example to us all.
In 1997, the Board of Trustees of the Placer Union High School District further recognized Paul by officially naming the gym at Del Oro High School in his honor. It is now called the "Paul Yokote Gymnasium."
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