LANGE, David L. (Les)

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Wednesday, February 24, 2010 David L. "Les" Lange, 95, passed away peacefully in his home at Granite Gate Senior Living Community in Prescott in the early morning of Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010. He was born on Jan. 5, 1915, in Depue, Ill., to David and Lucinda Lange. Dave was always an active person and a loyal and devoted family man. As a young child, he spent his summers working on various family members' farms throughout Illinois. When he was a senior in high school, his mother was badly burned in a house fire, causing Dave to quit school for a year to take care of her and to earn a living while she recovered. Because he was a very bright young man, when he took his county achievement exams, his high score earned him a full scholarship to Illinois State Normal College (which later became Illinois State University). Dave received a bachelor's degree in physical education and business, and took his first job as a coach at Mahomet High School in Mahomet, Ill. There he met and fell in love with his future bride, Alice Loy, and on New Year's Day, 1941, they were married. His first child, David, was born in February of 1942. Over the next few years, Dave coached several championship basketball teams and was in high demand. At this time, he was in the Army Air Corps but was sent home after training because he was encouraged to continue teaching physical education to prepare young men for military service after they graduated from high school. Although this was a disappointing turn of events for Dave, as he had hoped to serve his country in World War II, he continued moving forward, coaching high school basketball in Minonk, Ill., and selling life insurance in the evenings. Soon after, he and his little family moved again. This time the "Coach" (a nickname he acquired at that time) was lured to Gridley, Ill., where his next child, Suzanne, was born. While he was coaching, selling life insurance and also taking classes toward a master's degree, he was offered many coaching positions around the United States. One of those positions was in a little town he had never heard of called Prescott, Ariz. So he and Alice packed up their 6- and 2-year-olds and drove out to this unknown land, which became their home for the next 62 years. In Prescott, Coach initially taught at Prescott High School, but was later hired by Grand Canyon College while it was located in Prescott. Subsequently, he began teaching at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital at Fort Whipple, where he helped returning veterans earn their high school diplomas. Additionally, he organized and ran the Federal Credit Union on the VA grounds for the next 30 years. He also refereed basketball and football games throughout northern Arizona and was the "traffic survival" teacher in the Prescott area for over 20 years. It was around this time that his third child, Daniel, was born. A few years later, Dave and Alice started a real estate business. He obtained his broker's license and kept it active until he was 89 years old. Even after he retired from the VA, he still worked as a real estate broker and taught as a substitute teacher at Prescott High School for the next 20 years. Incredibly, during this time he returned to graduate school at Northern Arizona University, where he earned a master's degree in psychology when he was 53 years old. When he was 47 years old, Dave was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This was a very significant decision for him and he found much peace, comfort and happiness in his chosen faith. Coach was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was adored and loved by many for his kind and generous heart, witty sense of humor, his infectious laugh and happy disposition. When he laughed, his entire face was covered in a smile and his entire body shook; it made everyone in the room laugh just to see him laughing. When he told jokes, he barely got to the punchline because he was already laughing too hard. Always a physically active man, Dave enjoyed walking, hiking and swimming well into his 80s, as well as competing in the Senior Olympics, where he won three gold medals. Dave had a very long, productive and happy life with Alice right by his side. Dave is preceded in death by his parents; sister, Hazel; brother, Hart; and daughter, Suzanne. He is survived by his loving wife, Alice; sons, Dave (Georgia) of Prescott, Ariz. and Dan (Ann) of Colorado Springs, Colo.; 21 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren. A visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, 2010 at Ruffner-Wakelin Funeral Home, 303 N. Cortez St. in Prescott. A service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, with a viewing at 10 a.m., at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 1101 Sandretto Drive in Prescott. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Prescott High School Athletic Department, Boys Basketball Team, C/O Mary Robinson, 1050 Ruth St., Prescott, AZ 86301. Please visit and sign Dave's guestbook and video tribute at www.ruffnerwakelin.com. Arizona Ruffner Wakelin Funeral Home assisted the family with final arrangements. Information provided by survivors.