Apple Cup rivalry: Couple’s ashes to be buried in UW, WSU helmets

The Apple Cup kicks off for the UW Huskies and WSU Cougars this Saturday, but one married couple is taking the rivalry to their own eventual ‘end zone.’

UW alumni Chuck Nordquist and his own WSU rival and alumna wife, Bobbi, (hopefully) have no specific times or dates in mind for when they will eventually “kick off,” so to speak. But they do know what it will look like when their clocks tick to zero: in urns encased by separate college football helmets, holding their ashes for all eternity.

Dori: In ‘fight for the soul of UW,’ vote on diversity statement requirement for UW faculty fails

And if there are any ashes left, Chuck wants to deposit and dedicate his at Dick’s Drive-In.

The plans started, Chuck told Wednesday’s Dori Monson Show, as a gift to his wife – whom he calls a “quintessential Cougar.”

“When you get to my age, there are only so many t-shirts you can buy,” Chuck, UW class of 1975, joked with Dori about creative gift giving. In pursuit of “weird Cougar stuff for her,” the Husky husband found a “perfect Cougar helmet with the WSC and white cage” burial urn on eBay.

Chuck’s impression? “That’s really cool.”

“Time out,” Dori interjected. “What kind of message does that send?”

“I asked her first,” explained Chuck, who resides with his lucky bride in Yuma, Ariz. “‘Would you like to spend time in eternity in a Cougar helmet?’ And I’m not kidding you: she got really excited. That would be beyond ‘wow.'”

Not to be outdone, he needed something for himself – but definitely in purple and gold.

That task, he told Dori, was a bit more daunting. The UW has licensing tied up pretty tight.

After hitting several blocks, Chuck scored. Tapping into some connections he had through Husky insiders, the former football film coach persuaded UW sports communications guru Jeff Bechtold to send him some stickers for a school-appropriate helmet of his own.

More from Dori Monson: 9-year-old resolved to protect mom after Tacoma carjacking

Eventually, the ashes, urns, and helmets will reside in Minnesota, where both Chuck and Bobbi have roots and family. For the time being, they will watch Saturday’s games in separate rooms in their house to protect their marriage.

And if there are any, er, uh, leftover remains uncontained by his Husky helmet urn?

“I told Jeff Bechtold that from my size and the size of the helmet, if there’s a little spillage – any excess can go in the garbage cans at Dick’s Drive-In because at least a third of my body is made up of Dick’s.”

Listen to Dori Monson weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.