David Isamu Tamori
Wrestling (1969-70)

David Isamu Tamori is the second of three sons parented by Shoji and Shizu Tamori of Concord. His father is a U.S. Army World War II veteran and member of the 442nd RCT that served in Europe, while his family, and David’s mother’s family, were interned at various sites in the United States.

David was introduced to the sport of wrestling in a freshman high school physical education class where the instructor encouraged him to try out for the team. A smart move indeed, as David went on to capture two North Coast Section championships as a member of the Ygnacio Valley High team.

After high school, David continued his wrestling career at Diablo Valley Junior College and won a Northern California championship. Despite being recruited by such powerhouse schools like UCLA and the University of Oregon, David chose to attend Chico State because of its small size. He went on to win two Far West Conference championships under head coach Dick Trimmer and was named the school’s outstanding wrestler for those two years.

Daivd is a veteran of seven years in the U.S. Army Reserves, and currently is a Visual Arts Teacher, department chairman, and head wrestling coach at Oroville High School. This is now his 31st year in education, and he plans to continue to teach and coach for six more years. David has earned several awards for his achievements in education, including the California Art Education Secondary Art Educator of the Year in 1992.

David and his wife Carolee enjoy sharing their lives with their three daughters, Tina Eakens, Leanna Lunsford and Mesha Mar. They are also the proud grandparents of three; Marcus, Ashley and Chase.