Remembering a supportive dad and coach

Alan "Al" Engelhardt was the coach who always gave everyone on the team high-fives.

"One game, he got in trouble. (The player was called out) because he gave her a high-five before she got to the base," recalled Alyssa Hoppensteadt, 18, of Schaumburg, who played on the Blizzard softball team where Engelhardt coached first base. Engelhardt's 18-year-old daughter, Laura, also was on the team.

"From then on, he stood at first base with his arms crossed. And when they reached the base, we would lean over to each girl and say, 'Good job!'" Hoppensteadt wrote in a tribute to him, which will be presented during the softball league's opening ceremony Saturday.

Engelhardt, 57, of Hoffman Estates, who was laid to rest Thursday, was a stay-at-home dad whose life centered on his family and, in particular, his three children. He coached at least two of their sports teams and never missed a single Little League or softball game, or any other event his children were in.

He happily baby-sat for his new baby granddaughter, chauffeured the kids to their music lessons or concerts and cooked and cared for the older family members who lived in their Hoffman Estates home. He was married to his wife, Shelly, for more than 25 years.

Beside his family, Engelhardt also loved the Chicago Cubs, tending to the lawn and garden, and having the kids' friends over so he could cook for everyone.

Many friends admired Engelhardt's laid-back, soft-spoken style.

"A lot of times when you're working with athletic coaches, they're pretty intense. I never got that impression from him. He seemed to be a nice man," said Jason Hickman, the superintendent of recreation at the Hoffman Estates Park District, where Engelhardt coached his son Jeff's Colt baseball team for at least two seasons.

Denise Higgins, who managed the Blizzard girls softball team where Engelhardt was also a coach, said he was highly respected by everyone. She found it sweet that he and Laura seemed inseparable.

"He was truly dedicated to helping the players improve their skills and wanted them to have fun playing the game Laura and he shared a passion for," Higgins said. "We will miss him dearly."

Staff Writer Ashok Selvam contributed to this report.