The famous psychologist, prolific writer, family man, and devoted athlete died on July 13 at his home in Los Gatos. He was 82 years old.

Born in Victoria, Canada, on Nov. 7, 1920, Ogilvie grew up in the East Bay. He exhibited great physical prowess at an early age, using that to push himself through school. A wanderer without a very supportive home environment, it was not until the middle of high school that he was challenged to show off his intellect by a particular teacher he had angered. The incident pushed Ogilvie into academia, and after graduating from Mission High School, he went on to study psychology at the University of San Francisco, received a master's degree from Portland State, and fulfilled his doctorate in psychology at the University of London.

He met his wife, Eva Diane, in 1938. The couple was married in 1943 and had two children by the time they moved to London so that Ogilvie to pursue his Ph.D. To support the family, Ogilvie took to wrestling while the socially savvy Diane sang throughout Europe.

After finishing his doctorate three years later, Ogilvie and family moved to San Francisco and then to Los Gatos. He obtained a position as a professor at San José State University, where he created training programs in sports psychology and was revered for his delightful demeanor.

Local businessman and former Olympic athlete Ed Burke first met Ogilvie as a 19-year-old student at SJSU. "I was very impressed with him as a man and as a professor," Burke says. "His classes were extremely popular. He would give every student a hug when they walked in."

Burke remembers Ogilvie's method of audiotaping athletes while they visualized their game to gain access into their mental state during performance. "He was a pioneer," said Burke. "No one ever dreamed that athletic success was associated with your genetic social makeup."

Burke and Ogilvie became close friends over the years, their families celebrating birthdays and events together. "I never heard him tell anybody exactly what to do," he says. "He would help them gain the insights. He'd ask the questions and get them thinking and talking."

Friend and former co-worker Rick Milam says, "Bruce was the kindest, most gentle, sweetest guy. He was dear to everybody who met him."

Milam was a student of Ogilvie's at SJSU and as the manager for the school's basketball team was also the subject of one of the infamous tests. "I couldn't sleep for three days after getting the results," he says. "Everything he said was like those inner thoughts you never said out loud."

Ogilvie came onto the sports scene when psychologists were referred to as "shrinks" and any player going to visit one was seen as a problem to be avoided. Ogilvie helped to change that attitude, revolutionizing the world of sports psychology and garnering himself the title "grandfather of sports psychology" by all those in the business.

Ogilvie's methods included visualization, relaxation techniques and scripting, in which a player creates a positive play-by-play of doing well and accomplishing their goals. From 11-year-old Little Leaguers to superstar pro basketball players, Ogilvie's methods were used again and again.

From 1960 on, Ogilvie was an Olympic consultant for nearly every event except the 1980 games in Moscow, which were boycotted by the United States. He worked with individuals and consulted with teams in basketball, football, baseball, women's volleyball, track and field, figure skating and race car driving—he even worked with acrobatic pilots.

Frequently lecturing throughout the United States and Europe, he was a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine, the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sports Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the International Society of Sport Psychology. In addition to consulting, he was a prolific writer, publishing in numerous psychological and athletic journals, and was the co-author of Problem Athletes and How to Handle Them with Dr. Thomas Tutko.

His methods and theories was not accepted without question, however. Milam, who issued tests and collected data alongside Ogilvie, says initially there was "a lot of fear and mistrust among players, and especially coaches. People never wanted to admit that they saw him."

Burke also remembers coaches being afraid of Ogilvie. "The coaches were standoffish; he had to deal with that all the time. He'd try to make the coaches realize they were an integral part and that he was a tool for them to use," Burke says. "Then the coach could help motivate the athlete. Bruce had a great vision of what people could become."

In addition to his vision, Milam believes Ogilvie was so talented at his profession because "he was a good listener," he says. "Bruce never came in with an 'I'—it was always 'we.' He wanted to work together with the player and always made himself available. As a mentor, Bruce was amazing. When he walked into a room he had a glow."

He is survived by his wife, Eva Diane Ogilvie, son Doug Ogilvie, daughter Terrie Christiansen, granddaughters Tandem, Ariel and Morgan Ogilvie and Kim and Jodi Christiansen.

Friends are invited to attend a memorial service on June 27 at 1 p.m. at Hotel Los Gatos, located at 210 E. Main St.