By Jorge Casuso

August 19, 2019 -- When students and alumni flock to Samohi's Greek Theater for a memorial "pep rally" Sunday, they well see the name of the man they've come to honor emblazoned on the school's track.

On Thursday, the Santa Monica-Malibu School Board voted unanimously to name the track after teacher and track coach Patrick Cady, who mentored generations of students and athletes during his 45 years with the School District

Cady died June 8 after a long bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 72.

"The District is working on having his name painted on the new track before the Memorial on Sunday, so that the family and guests may see it," said Gail Pinsker, the District spokesperson.

This summer, the Samohi track where Cady coached hundreds of athletes was replaced with a new high-performance surface and school color striping.

"The dedication of the field in Coach Cady’s memory will include his name painted on the new surface," Pinsker said.

"A plaque will also be made explaining Coach Cady's contributions to the school and community."

A teacher who made a deep impact on his students, Cady joined the faculty at the Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH) in 1974, where he taught math, history, P.E. and English.

In 1982, he was transferred to Samohi, where he taught math and U.S. History before retiring in 2008.

Cady began coaching in 1979 with the Santa Monica Track Club working with youth and community athletes and in 1992 became head coach of Samohi’s Cross-Country and Track & Field team.

Cady was known for caring about his students beyond the classroom and earning their trust, forging many friendships that lasted a lifetime, said Crystal Reed, a 1989 Samohi graduate who helped organize the rally.

The memorial will be held on Father’s Day “because that’s what he was to an untold number of his former students, a father figure,” Reed said.

“He just really accepted everybody at such a time of insecurity in their lives. He was so about trying to make everybody feel comfortable in their own skin.”

The memorial will begin at 10 a.m. at the Greek Theater on the Samohi campus, 601 Pico Boulevard.