Van Linder Obituary

[MrMustang1965]

When he was in high school in Vicksburg, Jim Van Linder played football and ran track. He was a good athlete, but he didn't win any all-state honors.

But as a human being, parent and coach of youth sports, particularly soccer, Van Linder was in the superstar class.

Van Linder died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack while mowing his lawn at the family home at Lake Doster. He was 63.

"Jim wants his funeral service to be short and sweet, that's the kind of person he was," sister-in-law Jan Van Linder said. "He never wanted to put anyone out."

Jim and his late wife, Janet Van Linder, were very active in youth soccer, taking teams on numerous trips, many to foreign countries. They were among the early pioneers of youth soccer in the Kalamazoo area.

George Van Linder, Jim and Janet's son, played soccer while at Galesburg-Augusta High School and Western Michigan University and had coaching stops at Kalamazoo Central, Lynn University in Florida and Butler University in Indianapolis.

George was women's head coach at Southern Methodist for four years and currently is coach of the women's team at Baylor University.

"He was a friend of my friends," George Van Linder said. "Not too many kids could say that about their parents. Everybody liked him.

"He always preferred to be behind the scenes. My dad and mother formed a club team at Galesburg and kick-started soccer. My mother was the coach and my dad was her assistant.

"This has been a huge shock for everyone," George added. "My dad was at the doctor just a week ago and everything was fine."

Jim's late father, Harry "Red" Van Linder, was a well-known boxing referee.

There will be a memorial service for Jim Van Linder at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church of Richland.

[PonyTales]

I had the pleasure of meeting Coach Van Linder a few times when he coached at SMU, and he's a real family-first kind of guy. My thoughts go out to him and his family.

[ALEX LIFESON]

RIP