With a gathering of friends and family, a dedication ceremony was held Friday to honor the memory and contributions of Scott O’Leary, a longtime educator and coach at Dos Pueblos High School who died in 2003.

“It is particularly fitting that today we officially dedicate the stadium at Dos Pueblos High School as Scott O’Leary Stadium,” Principal Mark Swanitz said. “As the largest classroom we have and the sports venue which accommodates more athletes than any other, the stadium befits Scott’s larger-than-life reputation as a teacher, coach, athletic director, colleague and friend. Its scope and scale, also fittingly, metaphorically represent the many thousands of lives touched by coach O’Leary during his long career at Dos Pueblos High School.

“It took 40 years for us to finally have a stadium of our own. Scott worked tirelessly to ensure that this day would one day come, and I know that he is smiling down on us this afternoon with the satisfaction that only a job well done can bring.”

Superintendent Brian Sarvis added: “When Dos Pueblos High School was built in 1966, there were two projects that were not completed at that time. Former Principal Mike Couch tells us that because the school was built with state blueprints, the state was to have paid half the cost of the auditorium and the stadium, and the district was to have paid the other half. But, because the project cost more than anticipated and the district didn’t have the money — I guess times haven’t changed much — those two projects were put on hold. I suspect that school officials didn’t realize that the last two projects would be ‘on hold’ for 40 years.

“Thanks to the community’s approval of bond Measure V, we are able to come together to celebrate a facility that will benefit generations of students. Naming the stadium for beloved, dedicated coach Scott O’Leary, a driving force for the Dos Pueblos athletic program, is a fitting tribute to a man who inspired all those whose lives he touched.”

Mayor Roger Aceves presented Kathy O’Leary with a proclamation declaring Oct. 9, 2009, as Scott O’Leary Day in the city of Goleta.

After the remarks, the group walked to a stadium entrance for the unveiling of a plaque mounted on a dedication rock. The celebration continues with special pre-game and halftime activities at Friday night’s varsity football game against Rio Mesa High School.

— Barbara Keyani is coordinator of administrative services and communications for the Santa Barbara School Districts.