By Derek Wilson
Marinscope
For decades, Mr. John Enos did what he enjoyed, and at the same time brought some of that joy to generations of people who would come to consider him as a friend, a coach and a mentor.
Mr. Enos coached basketball in Marin County for about 50 years, with CYO and 17 years as an assistant coach to Rick DeMartini’s girls basketball teams at Marin Catholic.
Mr. Enos passed away recently at the age of 76 after a lengthy battle with Lewy body dementia. He was laid to rest last Friday at Mount Olive Cemetery.
“He was so fortunate to be able to do what he loved for so many years. Not many people can say they did that,” said his daughter Jen Imbimbo. “He really lived, and that’s what I remind myself so often.”
Mr. Enos is survived by his wife, Jean Enos, his sister Patty Enos, his children Catherine Enos, Jen Imbimbo and John Enos, as well as grandchildren Adeline Imbimbo and John Imbimbo.
“To me, he was my dad,” Jen Imbimbo reminisced. “He coached me and my sister and brother in CYO briefly. You saw the love he had for basketball and for all the boys and girls he coached.”
Mr. Enos was born in San Francisco in 1944 to Jack and Kay Enos. The family moved to Marin County when John was in the third grade at St. Raphael. He went on to Marin Catholic, where he played football, baseball and basketball before graduating in 1962. He later attended College of Marin and University of San Francisco, where he earned a degree in marketing.
Jack Enos played baseball and basketball at Hayward High School and helped lead Cal to its first NCAA national baseball championship in 1947.
While John Enos seemed to inherit some of his father’s athletic ability, it was one of his earliest coaches, Louis Freitas at St. Raphael, who nurtured his love and dedication to basketball. Mr. Enos shared that love when he began coaching CYO while still attending College of Marin.
“It was a character trait of his: Pushing people to get tough, playing smart and aggressively and making people laugh and enjoy the game,” Jen Imbimbo said. “He truly taught a love of the game. With him, you learned more about life off the court than on the court, things that for years afterward you take with you.”
Imbimbo recalls seeing her father as a fixture in the bleachers during her games at Marin Catholic.
“After I was done playing basketball at Marin Catholic, Rick (DeMartini) asked my dad to come down from the stands and help him coach. I guess he heard something my dad shouted during a game that made him think they could coach together.”
Mr. Enos coached with DeMartini for 17 years, from 1998 to 2015, during which time Marin Catholic’s girls basketball team won 11 Marin County Athletic League regular season pennants, 10 MCAL postseason titles, three North Coast Section championships (1998, 2000, 2001), a NorCal crown, and a national championship in 2002.
“What stands out for me is just his respect for people and his kindness and open heart,” Imbimbo said. “He was a good man who treated people fairly and with respect. That’s something I’ll always take with me.”
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