Wilfred Pence Dacus, age 87, from Houston, Texas, went to be with the Lord and join his wife Janis on Feb. 15, 2019. Pence was born in San Saba, Texas, on July 26, 1931 to Doyle and Olive Dacus. He grew up in San Saba and Brady, Texas, with his parents and younger brother, Weldon. He attended Tarleton Junior College, Southwest Texas State Teachers College, Abilene Christian College and the University of Houston, where he received a doctorate degree.
Pence, a humble leader, had a rich and varied career. During his college years he excelled at athletics. As a quarterback he was named to the “Little All American” team and drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1954 but was required to keep his commitment to the Air Force. Lifetime friend, former teammate and longtime Athletic Director at Southwest Texas State, Vernon McDonald, was quoted as saying that “Pence Dacus was the best all-around athlete ever at Southwest Texas State and was recruited with a penny post card.”
While in the Air Force Pence became seriously ill and he was unable to return to football. While in the hospital, he felt called to teach and serve the Lord. He met Janis at Abilene Christian, and they married on June 6, 1959 and moved to College Station, Texas, where he served as the Bible Chair Director at the A&M church of Christ. In 1960, Pence accepted a job as the head football coach at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, CA. When Pepperdine discontinued their football program in 1962, Pence received a fellowship from the University of Houston to complete his PhD while he worked at a local congregation. After receiving his PhD, Pence returned to work at Pepperdine.
