b'Born to a love of instruction. His mother was a teacher. Sheliachip off the old block, we think, upon learning that Jims dad, who discovered this 15 years before she met Jim. New to town and thelater moved to Ft. Scott, got a new car at 90 and was invested in school district, Shelia was asked if she was interested in teachingdriving older people to Kansas City for their doctor appointments. second grade. Uncannily, she was cleaning out the classroom,This leg of the conversation will connect soon to our telling here of sorting through books and a lot of old LIFE magazines that hadthe Saturday morning breakfast club: guys who were students of Jims mothers name on them. Jims father, a junior collegeJims dad at juco would come up to their table at Prairie Dunes, chemistry and physics professor took up golf when he was 90.Shelia says fondly.Shelia has photos of the two playing together. Surely Jim was a Russell Allan Rusty HilstDECEMBER 29, 1942JUNE 17, 2025Likely a mathematical genius Inducted into the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame in 2002 for his B.A. in math and political science, with honors, from Valparaisocontributions to the gameUniversity. Masters degree in political science from KU. VeeringInducted into the Hutchinson Community College Quarterback from a Ph.D. in political science at KU and defying the probabilityClub Hall of Fame in 2014 in recognition of his unmatched service of a career as a political pollster, filled a sudden vacancy in thein broadcasting and advocacymath department at Hutchinson High. Named chair of the HHSDiagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease) in 2022math department in 1978; retired in 2020 after 54 years ofWrote an autobiography titled, Banana Man, a reference to being teaching coated in yellow chalk dust by noon on a normal teaching dayHead golf coach at Hutchinson High for three decades; the team qualified for state 26 consecutive years, captured state titles in 1974 and 1995, and earned 13 top three finishesSports director at Eagle Communications from 1995 through 2019. Broadcast approximately 5,000 games for Hutch High, Hutchinson Community College and the NJCAA TournamentEnjoyed a tenured career with the Kansas Golf Association, now called Central Links Golf,from 1976 until his ALS diagnosis in late 2022. Known nationwide for his Rules of Golf expertise, promotion of junior golf throughout the state of Kansas, and the beautiful and timely scoreboards he created for the KGA, Central Links Golf, Trans-Miss and USGATwo Davis Educator of the Year awards and commendationsKansas Golf Hall of Fame 2002Kansas Sportscaster of the Year 2004Hod Humiston Award for Excellence in Broadcasting from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters in 2005, joining the likes of KC Royals announcer Fred White and Voice of the Chiefs Mitch HolthusInducted into the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame in 2023Central Links Golf dedicated its Boys Junior Player of the Year award in his honor in 2024THE SATURDAY MORNING BREAKFAST CLUB We listen and endeavor that the next time we pass a member Do you know how your golfing companions like their eggs?cluster at a breakfast table, well stop to catch even the tail of a good story. And lest we forget that what goes around comes Rusty loved the French toast and Jim ordered The Dunes witharound, there are Rustys takes, from Banana Man, on orange marmalade, says their longtime (12 years!) server, Jake.relationship and the knitting together of men:They were very good friends, Shelia says. We used to go toGolfing friendships with older townsfolk, who were very Rustys home for a lot of things. So many plaques honoringfriendly and welcoming, developed quickly. Looking back, him! After he contracted ALS . when he couldnt talk on theI realize these gave me a tremendous advantage over most phone, it was hard on Jim. These guys all did breakfast onValpo students, whose relationships were largely confined to Saturday mornings. Rusty eventually had to be brought outthe campus population. by public transportation. He had a big, fancy wheelchair. The last time they were together, Rusty was not very responsive.The three Gs of the perfect outinggood food, good golf That was hard on Jimmy too. courses, and good friends.7'