Dave Scholz, the son of two-time USA Olympic rugby gold medalist Rudy Scholz, has died after suffering a massive stroke earlier last week.

The youngest son of Rudy Scholz, he was a rugby player at Stanford University and later earned his MBA from Santa Clara University. In 2016, when the Washington Athletic Club and Goff Rugby Report Editor Alex Goff partnered to create an award for the top collegiate rugby players in the United States, then head of USA Rugby Collegiate efforts, Rich Cortez, suggested that the men's award be named after Rudy Scholz.

Goff and Milner approved of the idea and while they knew Rudy had died in 1981, they set about finding his family. Eventually, thanks to the assistance of US Rugby Football Foundation Executive Director Brian Vizard, they located Dave Scholz, who was born in 1937, when Rudy was 41. He was informed of the Scholz Award being named after his father, and sent a message back to Goff in reply, which read, in part:

Dear Alex-

First, please accept the humble thanks from the Scholz family (Rudy's four sons, et al) for this wonderful - and certainly unique - recognition of our father's contribution to the grand sport of rugby football.

Scholz and his extended family, including his son Doug, attended every Scholz and Sorensen Award dinner from 2016 to 2019 (the last two have not been held due to the COVID. He spoke at those awards and was enormously supportive of the program. An intelligent, engaging, and kind man, Dave Scholz was a man of many interests and talents. He and his wife recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Dave and Charlotte lived in Sunnyvale for nearly 60 years and Dave Scholz was an active parishioner at Church of the Resurrection Catholic church. He taught catechism, coached youth soccer, was active in political campaigns and in feeding the homeless. He refereed AYSO youth soccer games into his 70s and enjoyed attending all his children's and grandchildren's sporting events. An avid outdoorsman and conservationist he spent his 80th birthday on the top of Half Dome and hiked in Rancho San Antonio Preserve multiple times a week right up to his passing.

Just about a month short of his 84th birthday, Dave Scholz is survived by his wife, Charlotte, children Diane Regonini (Todd) of Portola Valley, Bonnie Puleo (Mike) of Nampa, ID and Doug Scholz (Stacey) of El Dorado Hills, as well as seven grandchildren and many, many friends.