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Sahuaro High School athletic director Steve Botkin said Wednesday he favors naming the school’s softball stadium in honor of Lopez, whose teams won six state championships between 1988 and 2001, and the playing field in memory of Bacon, Lopez's assistant during that time. Lopez retired as softball coach in 2005 with a 425-73 team record. Bacon continued as a volunteer coach.

A naming decision will be made in the future by the school and community, with a final vote from the Tucson Unified School District governing board.

Bacon's friendly personality and coaching skills resonated well with team players, Botkin said. They also witnessed Bacon's dedication in taking care of the softball field with a loving touch, from mowing the grass to lining its foul lines. He even used scissors to trim tall blades of grass, Lopez said. Botkin called it the best-groomed field in the state.

Bacon, 82, was a key reserve guard on Tucson High's 1962 state championship basketball team and a standout baseball player for the Badgers and Phoenix College. After working as a salesman at Sears, Bacon became a dropout prevention specialist at Sahuaro, regularly keeping nearly 99 of 100 Sahuaro students in school, Botkin said. In addition to his work with the baseball team, he helped with Cougar football teams and the girls’ basketball squads.

Bacon was inducted into the Sahuaro High Hall of Fame in 2003. A year ago, Sahuaro High named the softball practice hitting facility the "Don Bacon Batting Cage."

A funeral service for Bacon will be held Friday, June 13, at Rising Star Baptist Church, 2800 E. 36th St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The burial service will be at 2 p.m. at South Lawn Cemetery, 5401 S. Park Ave.