Shelbyville native Tom Dierckman honored with building dedication

Tom Dierckman frequently recalls his halcyon days growing up in Shelbyville during the 1950s and 60s.

That period of his life took on a nostalgic and special significance last May when the Santa Clarita (California) Boys and Girls Club clubhouse was renamed in honor of the long-time board member, fundraiser, and tireless advocate.

“Growing up in Shelbyville was all about wonderful, encouraging parents, coaches, teachers, friends and extended family,” said Dierckman last week. “Ken Self (Shelbyville Boys Club executive director for 28 years) was a true mentor to me. The Boys Club was instrumental in my development, and I am extremely humbled by this dedication from an organization that I value so much.”

“To have someone who got his start in the Boys Club, across the Midwest, move across the country and establish his life and his family and then give back to those local kids and really do some momentous and amazing things for this community is special,” stated Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club CEO Matt Nelson.

Dierckman has served on the Santa Clarita Club’s board of directors since 1997 and held the position of board president from 2001-2004. The 1966 Shelbyville High School graduate was pivotal in the $6.5 million dollar campaign that expanded the clubhouse into a 27,000 square-foot facility.

Jim Ventress, retired Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club executive director, said: “Tom’s vision and efforts were crucial in securing funding for the expansion.”

Dierckman, son of the late Stan and Martha Dierckman, and wife, Sandy, have two sons and two grandchildren. He has received myriad accolades for his professional and community service.

The College of the Canyons presented him with the “Silver Spur Award” in 1993. He served on numerous area boards and contributed to many local projects for more than four decades. He was honored as Santa Clarita “Man of the Year” in 2012 and was named “Santa Clarita Boys and Girls Club Board Member of the Decade.”

Tom Dierckman, far right, visits with Shelbyville football head coach Tom Sells, far left, and assistant coach Jack Tindall after receiving the 1965 Kiwanis Football Award. 

The 76-year-old Dierckman played football and basketball for the Golden Bears in high school, earning the Kiwanis McKeand Football Award following his senior season.

“Coach Sells asked me to move from tight end to tackle for my senior year,” said Dierckman. “I know he appreciated me doing that for the team. I played nearly every down that season, almost never coming off the field and was proud to be an all-South Central Conference selection. They even ran a couple of tackle-eligible plays for me to catch passes. We made definite improvement that year and set the stage for better teams the following two seasons.”

After high school, Dierckman served a stint in the United States Navy before matriculating to the University of Illinois on a full Navy academic scholarship. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1971 and later earned a Master of Science degree in Engineering, Construction Management at The University of California at Berkeley.

Dierckman joined The Newhall Land and Farming Company in California in 1982 and became president of its Valencia Company in 1994. He became a company General Partner in 2001.

He numbered a cumulative 28 years in active and reserve naval service, retiring with the rank of Captain in 1999.

In addition to Ken Self, Dierckman cites Golden Bear football coach Tom Sells as an individual who had a major positive influence on his life.

“My time in sports at the high school, especially under coach Sells on the football field my senior year, was a huge springboard and confidence builder for the rest of my life.” said Dierckman. “High school experiences often lay the foundation for much of later life. I was so very fortunate that my high school years were so special.”

Dierckman’s remarkable record of accomplishment and service was recognized in 2016 with his induction into the Shelbyville High School Alumni Hall of Fame.

Tom remembers a 1966 mischievous episode that nearly resulted in him and some teammates being dismissed from the basketball squad.

“We wanted to play in Paul Cross Gym (where Shelbyville played its home games from 1922 through 1967) one night,” said Dierckman. “Greg Long, Bill Higgins and I along with some other friends got caught playing ball in there and the school really came down on us. We were lucky to have avoided big trouble on that one.”

Dierckman still maintains a long list of wonderful memories of Shelbyville.

 “Listening to the news on WSVL radio every morning before school, cruising Shelbyville in a Plymouth Valiant and playing sports with friends like Bill Grove on the football team and Steve Drake on the basketball team are times I will always hold dear,” he recalled.

Dierckman was pleased to reestablish a connection with his hometown Shelbyville Boys and Girls Club some 15 years ago. This reengagement motivated him to become a strong supporter of and regular contributor to the Shelbyville Club.

“I am very proud of the club’s tradition and history and gratified to see how the organization has developed and succeeded beyond my dreams and expectations,” Dierckman said on a visit home in 2019.

Not surprisingly, most of Dierckman’s hometown reminiscences center around Shelbyville High School and the Boys Club in Shelbyville.

“Those were the places I spent most of my high school days,” said Tom. “Playing sports at the high school during the school year and frequenting the Boys Club in spring and summer. I think often of endless carefree basketball games on the indoor and outdoor club courts and Ken always being there for a word of encouragement or a heartfelt conversation.”

The briefest interaction with Tom Dierckman reveals a man with a genuine sense of class, gratitude, and humility. He has completed a profound steady journey from Boys Club member to alumnus to contributor to benefactor and, ultimately, to namesake. Customarily, this individual of nearly unparalleled success, accepts his most recent honor with a characteristic unassuming demeanor.

“I am a product of everyone God has placed in my life from my youth in Shelbyville to time in the Far East to settling in Southern California,” said Dierckman. “Whatever good I have been able to do has been made possible by the grace of God and the exceptional people I have been privileged to associate with.”

Younger people will sometimes ask me about Tom Dierckman’s mentor, Ken Self. Who was he? What made him so special?

My short answer is: “Ken’s remarkable life speaks for itself. No further explanation is necessary.”

Ditto Tom Dierckman.

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