Remembering John Pohlen

I am saddened to hear that John Pohlen, Jeanette's dad, died yesterday after a two-year battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

My husband and I first met John and Cindy Pohlen in 2007 when we shared a taxi in the Virgin Islands en route to Jeanette's fourth game as a Stanford freshman in the Paradise Jam. We were delighted to meet Cardinal parents and they were delighted that we knew their daughter and admired her game.

They told us that their two older sons had finished their collegiate sports careers and that they were finding great joy in devoting their leisure time to following Jeanette's career.

It didn't take them long to become key members of the Cardinal family. John's business obligations occasionally interfered, but he and Cindy attended almost all of Jeanette's home games and many away games in the next four yours.

I remember John as a very gregarious person — always friendly and cheerful — who went off and sat by himself at Maples so that he wouldn't be distracted from his intense interest in the game.

I remember that John, who was once a basketball coach, guided the off-season training that helped Jeanette develop into an outstanding basketball player.

I remember John, so proud of Jeanette's fabulous performance when Stanford won the conference title in her sophomore year.

John taking over the role of pink-clad Cardinal dad from John Appel in Jeanette's senior year.

John taking the mike from Jeanette at the postgame meeting after Stanford won its 11th consecutive conference championship in 2011. He spoke of his admiration for the Cardinal basketball program and of how far Jeanette had progressed in her career. "Her first basket was for the wrong team," he said.

I remember Cindy and John ushering Jeanette into Maples on Senior Day.

I so admired John for his devotion to his family and to Stanford Women's Basketball. My very best wishes and sympathy are with Cindy and Jeanette and all their family.