The Carolina Lettermen community sends its condolences to the family of Mike Rubish, a Tar Heel Letterman from 1945-48 who died Sunday March 15 at his home in Chapel Hill.

            He was known for being the “barefoot kicker” and end on Tar Heel teams that went to three bowl games in four years during the Justice Era and later for owning and operating a driving range and par-three golf course in Durham.

            Rubish, 90, was a West Virginia native and at age 16 joined the 7th Air Force and served in Hawaii. He was at Hickam Field on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. While there, Rubish roomed with and befriended famed baseball slugger Joe DiMaggio.

            After World War II, Rubish chose a football scholarship at Carolina over playing baseball for Duke.

            A memorial service will be held at University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill on Thursday, March 19, at 2 p.m. followed by a reception on the fifth floor of the Pope Box at UNC’s Kenan Stadium. The family welcomes all friends of Mike Rubish, past and present, to attend the celebration of his life.

            His full obituary from the Herald-Sun can be found here.