Dwight Clark at lunch with his buddies in Capitola, California, on March 6, 2018.
“I had tears rolling down my face, they were telling these great stories,” Kirk Reynolds said. “It was just great. Dwight just lit up. We walked away and Dwight said, ‘Let’s do it again.’ I said, ‘I’ll do it every week if you want to.’ I don’t think he thought I was serious.”
In the fall of 2017 Kirk Reynolds, Dwight Clark’s friend and a former 49ers media-relations director, put together an informal lunch with Ronnie Lott and a couple of former team staffers. They gathered at a beachfront cafe in Capitola, California, every Tuesday for months to tell stories, relive the glory days, and talk about ALS, the disease that was was taking a toll on #87. Fred Formosa, a former 49ers security chief, helped make these lunches happen every week by picking up Dwight and bringing him to the beach. The small gatherings got bigger and bigger each week, and before you knew it former teammates, players, and coaches like Garrison Hearst (Georgia), Kevin Gogan (Washington), Lawrence Pillers (Mississippi), Ricky Churchman (Seattle), Wendell Tyler (Los Angeles), and Sam Wyche (South Carolina) were flying back to the Bay Area every week to have lunch with their teammate.
Dwight Clark laughs with teammates, coaches, and friends at lunch in Capitola, California, on January 30, 2018.
Mark Ibanez, Dwight Clark, Guy McIntyre, and Michael Zagaris laugh during lunch in Capitola, California, on February 13, 2018.
The lunches continued until early march of 2018, as Dwight and his wife Kelly were preparing to move to Whitefish, Montana. The final lunch on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 was epic. The weather was glorious and the large group of over 20 sat outside overlooking the beach. A busload of former teammates and co-workers made the trip down from the 49ers facility in Santa Clara led by Guy McIntyre. Former 49ers quarterbacks/receivers coach Paul Hackett traveled from the east coast and brought the house down with a quiz that brought laughter and stories from everyone around the table. The afternoon ended with dear friend and former 49ers executive Lal Heneghan walking Dwight home in the late-afternoon sun. In a little more than a week Dwight, Kelly, their dogs, and horses would be enjoying their new Montana home, surrounded by snow. But on this sunny day in Capitola it was all warm hugs between friends and teammates. A special lunch that no one will ever forget.
Sam Wyche, Dwight Clark, and Nicole Gisele laugh during lunch in Capitola, California, on February 27, 2018.
Dwight Clark gathers with teammates, coaches, and friends before lunch in Capitola, California, on March 6, 2018.