DULUTH — Steve “Pokey” Trachsel and his wife, Cathie, have died in a 3-automobile crash in Southern California. Each have been 71 years old.

According to authorities at the California Highway Patrol and the Imperial County Sheriff’s Workplace, the accident involved two semi-trucks and the Trachsels’ automobile. It occurred in the course of a dust storm about three:32 p.m. on April three on Highway 86 close to Salton City, California.

The Trachsels — who spent half the year in the Duluth location and half of the year in Tucson, Arizona — have been pronounced dead at the scene.

Pokey Trachsel was a standout hockey player at Duluth Cathedral Higher College and the University of Minnesota Duluth, as effectively as a member of the Duluth Central All-Stars who reached the Small League Globe Series in 1963.

Cathie Trachsel left her mark on the neighborhood operating with households in the Northland via USDA’s Ladies, Infants, and Young children plan (WIC) and Duluth Head Start out. She was passionate about nutrition, mentioned the Trachsels’ 3 daughters — Lisa, Allie and Lindsay.

Pokey and Cathie each graduated from UMD, with Cathie also earning a master’s in education. They have been also classmates at Cathedral, graduating in 1969, although they didn’t start dating till soon after higher college.

Steve “Pokey” Trachsel and Cathie Trachsel sit along the water in this undated photo, courtesy of the Trachsel family members. Steve and Cathie Trachsel died earlier this month in a automobile crash in California. Each have been 71 years old.

Contributed / Trachsel family members

“When they met, it was soon after they had each graduated from Cathedral. They knew each and every other due to the fact our dad played hockey with our mom’s brothers,” Lindsay Trachsel mentioned. “They have been at some celebration, and we often heard my dad kept her out of problems, due to the fact when the cops showed up, he mentioned, ‘She’s with me,’ and that was when they began dating.”

Pokey Trachsel led the Duluth Cathedral Hilltoppers to 4 consecutive Catholic college state championships from 1966-69, and was declared one particular of Minnesota’s one hundred greatest boys hockey players

by Minnesota Boys Hockey Hub in 2011, coming in at No. 20.

Totaling 12 points in 3 games at the 1969 state tournament, Pokey Trachsel landed on his third-straight all-tournament group when the Hilltoppers captured a fifth-straight state title for the college.

As a Bulldog, Pokey Trachsel posted 90 points in 130 games from 1969-1973, such as 5 objectives on Nov. 17, 1972, in an 11-five win more than Lake Superior State to open UMD’s Christmas City of the North Tournament. That was his initial season at wing soon after 3 seasons as a defenseman. His 5 objectives against the Lakers

are nonetheless tied for the plan record for objectives in a single game.

Steve “Pokey” Trachsel circles behind the net in this undated photo from his time on the men’s hockey group at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Trachsel, one particular of the finest players in Bulldogs hockey history, died in a automobile crash earlier this month in California.

University of Minnesota archives

“You have to have the bounces go suitable to get 5 objectives,”

Pokey Trachsel told the News Tribune in February 2011

soon after Mike Connolly became the second Bulldog to score 5 objectives in a game. “That’s one thing you under no circumstances anticipate it really is definitely out of the ordinary.”

Pokey Trachsel can nonetheless be located in the UMD record books for penalty minutes, as effectively. The 103 minutes on 44 penalties more than 32 games in the course of his sophomore season of 1970-71 is tied for 10th most in a single season when the 124 profession penalties for 274 minutes ranks eighth all-time at UMD.

Pokey Trachsel initial created a name for himself on the Duluth sports scene

in 1963 as a pitcher and shortstop for the Duluth squad that completed third in the Small League Globe Series.

The 12-year-old left-handed curveball specialist struck out nine batters and hit a dwelling run in the third-location game.

“That was fairly superior for a northern group that just played ball in the spring and summer time,”

Pokey Trachsel told the News Tribune back in August 2013.

“We did not know what to anticipate. We just kept winning, and each and every game was a one particular-run game. It was fairly thrilling for us children.”

A image of the Duluth Central Small League group that completed third at the 1963 Small League Globe Series hangs on the side of the Essentia Duluth Heritage Sports Center in Duluth.

Steve Kuchera / File / Duluth News Tribune

The Trachsels’ daughters mentioned their parents enjoyed traveling and going on adventures, whether or not it was seeing the globe prior to their children have been born, or traveling across the nation to see the grandchildren in current years.

Wherever they went, Alli Trachsel mentioned she often remembered men and women asking the family members, upon hearing they have been from Duluth, “Oh, do you know Pokey Trachsel?” Their dad loved playing coy, till ultimately introducing himself, she mentioned.

“He was a one particular-of-a-type human, like no one you have ever met,” Lisa Trachsel mentioned. “There is actually no one particular else like him.”

“I do not consider any individual can ever speak about him without having laughing,” added Lindsay Trachsel. “He’s just a character.”

As news of Pokey and Cathie’s death started to circulate, their daughters mentioned they’ve received an outpouring of assistance not just from all of these who knew their popular father, but from these whose lives have been impacted by their mother.

1 of these who reached out to share stories about their mother was Pam Rees, who worked with Cathie Trachsel at Duluth Head Start out. Her family members also had a cabin on Island Lake, like the Trachsels. Rees described Cathie as a crucial thinker who she was grateful to have on her group.

“Cathie was so significant to our plan for a myriad of causes, but for me, she had the finest interests of kids and households in her heart and thoughts,” Reese mentioned in a statement she shared with the Trachsel daughters. “She often had my back, even when we disagreed. She could have performed something, but she chose to operate with a stellar group of men and women attempting to do the suitable issue serving kids and households.”

The Trachsel daughters are preparing a complete obituary for their parents, as effectively as a celebration of their lives at a later date.