Holiday Wagner (Matchett)

I accidently had the thrill of hearing the entire program on NPR in honor of Dude Anguis and Barbara.  It was just 20 minutes ago on Washington (State) Channel KUOW.  What an honor. It was an honor to a kind, understanding, courageous family and those many others who were influenced by their actions and "Dude"'s elequence when speaking of the AIDS disease and the "Los Altos" movie that followed and educated so many viewers. Again Thank you to the Anguis family.

Holiday Wagner Matchett

Sylvia Salassi (Talarico)

This is a link to the You Tube recording of the award-winning documentary, The Los Altos Story.  It was produced as part of Dude's Rotary President's project which he initiated after his son Steve disclosed to his family that he had AIDS.  It changed the world's attitude about the disease:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LK3CBcTCqw

Website Visitor

Dude Angius was my colleague at Los Altos High School, and as I remember him, he would greet me with a smile on his face, a hearty "Hello, how are you doing," and "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He inspired students and faculty to push themselves harder until they achieved their goal. His legacy will live on in those who knew him, and they in turn will impart that legacy to future generations.
Ken Bruce   LAHS history teacher 1958-68

Frances-Meredith Atkinson (Gilbert)

  As a 1962, graduate of LAHS, I especially rememer Dude Angius, as Andrew Tink, Australian foreign echange student ,does. Besides being a natural leader, Mr Angius was extremely compassionate, knowing how to help those with personal bereavement. He helped me with the death of my twin brother when I returned an Algebra book to him, saying "Steve won"t be needing this anymore".He looked down at me and took me aside for a special 5minutes. It meant more to me than any other counselling I received.It was his gentle manner.

Frances Atkinson,(Meredith Gilbert)

Allyson Young (Johnson)

Link to Los Altos Town Crier feature story/obituary:

http://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/community/177-features/54540-dude-angius-inspiring-educator-trailblazer-in-the-fight-against-aids

Allyson Young (Johnson)

Another link to Dude Angius' obituary in the Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-dushan-angius-20170118-story.html

John Daly

There was a nice obituary in the SF Chronicle today.  Dude was a wonderful man.  The last time I saw him was in Susanville when Merry and I were looking for a small town to live and teach in.  He was very accomodating and would have hired us if we had chosen Susanville.  But we chose Nevada City, which I now see his brother lives here too.  Our world is connected everywhere.

Website Visitor

     Dude, as a P.E. teacher, was very creative. Los Altos High was still under construction during my first year of high school in 1956.  Dude directed a game of "mud ball" using the foundation of the unfinished gymnasium which was a huge puddle of water after a winter rain.  The class was divided in two teams with the object of moving the ball, thrown into the center of the puddle, from one side to the other.  I can still see Dude watching with his hands on his hips with a hearty laugh as the dirty but fun mud war took place. It was a creative and fun activity improvised by Dude.  All of us students at the time thought he was so cool to let us have that kind of activity.
     Dude was one of my role models as I decided later to become a high school teacher and a coach. His strong character and sense of caring for students will always be in my heart and memory.
Terry Neff, Class of 1959

Jerry Hearn

Dear Members of the Class of 1962,

It was my great pleasure to reconnect with Dude over the last few years.  Much of our interactions were in regards to his Rotary Aids project, and I was deeply honored not long ago to make a presentation on behalf of my very dear friend Bill Gross, with Dude present, to the Rotary Club .  It was a very special day for me and, I hope, for Dude also.

In response to prompting from Allyson and Sylvia, I sent the following letter about Dude to the Stanford Magazine :

Editor, Stanford Magazine:

I read with interest the short segment in the “Class Notes” section of the September/October issue about Dushan “Dude” Angius, MA ’51.  I have the great good fortune of knowing this very special man, starting from the day I entered Los Altos High School as a freshman in the fall of 1958.  Dude was my first P.E. teacher and basketball coach, and served also as advisor to the various elements of student government in which I became involved during my high school career.  Back then, Dude was almost a mythic figure to us teenagers – tall, quick-witted, athletic, loud voiced, commanding presence, cool name – the image of the confident and powerful male figure of that period.  We were careful in his presence to be on our best behavior to avoid any confrontation with that giant of a man.

This image of Dude that I carried in my memory was to change suddenly the night that I sat down to watch the Los Altos Story, sometime in the early 1990s. I had heard it was a documentary, though I didn’t know the subject matter beyond that it took place in my home town.  Imagine my surprise when I first saw Dude on the screen and began to understand what this story was all about.  I sat, dumbstruck, as I watched the events unfold, and was moved to tears when Dude, that man of iron, actually broke down in tears at one point.  This was not the rock of a man that I thought I knew; instead a whole new Dude was revealed to me, a man exhibiting a range of emotions not associated with strong males, a man demonstrating his undying love for his dying child, a man of quite strength, integrity and vast courage.  The Dude I saw that night was the man I always felt was inside of me and, in some subtle but profound way, I felt freer to express that side of me after that night.

Dude’s story does not end here – it is just the beginning.  Out of the terrible tragedy and unspeakable grief of losing his child, he forged a new purpose in his life, one that would help create some meaning out of loss.  Starting with his own local Rotary, Dude told the story of his son dead from AIDS and used that to catalyze his club into creating a project to work towards the elimination of that terrible disease from the face of the earth.  To do so, Dude had to have the courage to speak of things that were not accepted by most people, but he knew that if the truth were not told, the story and the project would be meaningless. The strength of his convictions carried him through that tough time, and the rest is history.  The Rotary AIDS project that started in Los Altos has become a world-wide effort to combat the disease, all as a result of one man who was willing to share his painful story with the world in the service of truth and love.

In closing, I would like to suggest to you that Dude’s story would be a wonderful one to tell in the pages of your magazine.  Some very few Stanford graduates make big news in the world; most lead normal, if meaningful and productive, lives that garner no headlines.  Dude has lead such a life, but deserves much more, as his is a story of exceptional courage, humility and grace.  It would serve as a beacon to others in their struggles to overcome the challenges that life presents to us.

Jerry Hearn

Class of 1966

Pamela Henry (Lund)

I didn’t really know Dude Angius. My involvement with the athletic department was only peripheral, having been a scorekeeper for the water polo and swim teams. It wasn’t until I heard about the NPR story that I became aware of his involvement with AIDS education. I am so sorry for the loss of his son and proud of his subsequent personal commitment to initiate the Rotary AIDS Project. Watching “The Los Altos Story” not only brought tears, but memories of how AIDS touched my life. In our Seattle design community, many people we knew, friends and staff, suffered from AIDS, or are living with an HIV diagnosis. My heart goes out to his family and friends.