After a lengthy battle with colon cancer, “much loved” teacher and coach at Wallaceburg District Secondary School Ingrid Lahey died at home on Sunday, December 18, 2022.
She was 73.
“Ingrid was a much loved teacher-coach, coaching major champions in three sports, volleyball, basketball, and badminton,” her obituary states.
“She played volleyball for over 30 years and coached it for 45 years. She was female athlete of the year at the University of Windsor 1970-71. Ingrid was co-founder of the still running Ballhawks Volleyball Club ’75 and of the Spring Boys Volleyball League. She was twice inducted into the Wallaceburg (Sports) Hall of Fame.”
Born in Berlin on December 2, 1949, Lahey came to Canada at the age of three and was raised in and near Mississauga.
She will be remembered by her husband of 48 years Dale and their two sons, Cory and Scott.
A private celebration of life will be held in the late spring or early summer.
Several condolences have been posted on the memory wall of her obituary.
“Mrs. Lahey is one of those teachers / coaches that you never forget,” wrote Mark Everaert.
“Her classes and practices were also up beat and full of positive encouragement. I still remember her big smile and laughter as her boys volleyball teams did the silliest things to warmup before games, like playing freeze tag. Her coaching style stuck with me so much that now 20+ years later, I continue to use some of her volleyball and badminton drills with my own teams. I smile and think of her each time my teams do them and become better athletes because of her coaching to me.”
Everaert added: “She also had this way of always making you feel like you could achieve your goals and be successful individually and as a team. And if you did lose a game, she was there to pick you up and let you know that life was more than just a win or loss on the court. Thank you Mrs. Lahey for the positive impact you had on my life.”
William Bathurst wrote: “It takes a special person to devote their time to amateur athletics both in an educational setting and in the community. Often these special people never get enough credit for their efforts. You will be remembered.”
Laura Lee wrote: “She was a wonderful women with such a joyful spirit. I loved playing volleyball with her and looked up to as a role model. May you all find peace during this difficult time.”
Her full obituary can be read, here.
