This July, when 50,000-plus descend on Fiesta Island seeking the legendary debauchery offered by the annual Over-The-Line tournament, few will notice much difference from years past. The competition will remain fierce, the party loud, the team names cringe-worthy, and Ms. Emerson, uh, gifted. To the 450-member strong brotherhood of the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club, however, the absence of OMBAC legend Chuck Millenbah will prove conspicuous. John Charles Millenbah, whose 32- year stewardship of the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club transformed the group from a handful of volleyball buddies into the most respected community service and sports club in San Diego, passed away Feb. 10. He is survived by his beloved family; wife Janine and son C.J. A four-year letterman in football and basketball at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, he graduated in 1964. Soon after, the six-foot-five Millenbah earned a tryout with the Green Bay Packers. A career on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field wasn’t in the cards, so Millenbah headed for the Windy City to attend Graduate school at George Williams College, earning a masters degree in physical education in 1966. Following graduation, Millenbah left the frigid winters of the Midwest for the desirable climes of San Diego. After working for the YMCA for a year, he was hired by the University of California, San Diego in 1967, and was eventually elected chair of the Physical Education Department. From 1974 to 1975, he served as president of the Easter Seals program, one of many philanthropic endeavors he would undertake in his life. After 40 years of service at UCSD, Millenbah retired in 2007. Though his unspoken distinction as the heart and soul of OMBAC was obvious, it was earned through respect rather than bombast. “Chuck led by example,” said longtime friend and OMBAC Treasurer Jim Whelan. “He worked harder than anyone else, and never gave orders.” Chuck’s leadership style was the embodiment of the essence of OMBAC. To the casual observer, OMBAC might look like a hard-partying boys’ club. This assumption — while not erroneous — fails to reveal the totality of the club. Below the surface of OMBAC’s pursuit of leisure lies an aggressively philanthropic organization whose contributions to the San Diego community are not only appreciated, but required. OMBAC’s list of beneficiaries is far too long to list in this space, but the group’s contributions range from monetary down to good old-fashioned elbow grease. Nearly 60 years after its inception, the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club continues to thrive on this spirit of communal responsibility, a spirit largely instilled by John Charles Millenbah, a spirit that will forever stand as the keystone for the San Diego seaside community.
