When Carl Dominey was hired to work at St. Mary, Star of the Sea School, he said a map was required to figure out where Astoria was, as the California native had never been to Oregon.

“I grew up in Southern California. My dad was on the USS Tennessee during Pearl Harbor,” he said. “I then went up north for my last two years of college at Humboldt State. After finishing up my undergraduate degree, I was hired to teach at St. Mary, Star of the Sea School over the phone by the local Catholic priest.”

He describes his journey to Astoria as pure luck.

Dominey was planning to return to Humboldt State for his fifth year in pursuit of a master’s degree, but sometimes life takes a turn.

Dominey taught health and physical education for one year at Star of the Sea before being hired by Astoria High School.

When he started as a teacher at Astoria, he was also asked to be the track coach. This was unfamiliar territory for Dominey, as baseball was his main sport.

“It was just a lot of on-the-job training,” Dominey said. “When I began my coaching career, there were some really legendary coaches in Oregon and the whole lower Columbia area. People really respected them because of their knowledge and so I just got lucky being around that and learned a tremendous amount from them.”

Dominey coached track and field in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Throughout his time coaching the Fishermen, he had 18 athletes win individual state championships, the 1981 girls track team won a state title and Astoria won four district championships. In cross-country, his teams won 14 district crowns, 13 individual championships and two state championships. His contributions earned Dominey an induction into the Astoria Sports Hall of Fame.

Dominey is credited as the man who built the Astoria track-and-field program.

Despite his accolades, Dominey has always been humble and ready to heap praise on others.

He gives credit to his assistant coaches, his wife of 54 years, Jean, and the athletes who made his job so enjoyable.

“When I think back there were so many kids who had raw talents and were willing to work hard,” Dominey said. “But what I enjoyed the most was seeing the kids who didn’t have the most physical talent, but had great hearts and work ethic. The bedrock of my coaching was all based on those individuals. My philosophy was those who work the hardest are winners despite what the results on the track say.”

Dominey also spent 18 years helping out at Astoria track meets, and would often invite his former students or athletes to assist him.

In addition to his work as a track coach, Dominey and his wife are involved in environmental and political causes.

Though he doesn’t drive anymore, Dominey is grateful for the wonderful views he gets to see from his home on 37th Street.

“I think Astoria is one of the most beautiful places around. I feel so lucky to live here, and to have impacted the lives of so many young people” he said.