Area mourns passing of Lynch, Wendell
The area sports scene lost two popular figures last week with the passing of Dennis Lynch and Martin Wendell.
Lynch, a former head football coach at Rolling Meadows and longtime softball assistant, is the father of Laura, Lindsey and Jenna, who played softball at Fremd High School.
Lynch is the father-in-law of Fremd softball coach Jim Weaver, Palatine softball coach Jeff Manz and Conant lacrosse coach Martin Kulak.
Wendell, an All-American offensive lineman for Notre Dame, is the father of longtime Buffalo Grove baseball coach John Wendell and father-in-law to former Maine West football coach Ray Pettenuzzo and boys basketball coach Erik McNeill.
He is also the grandfather of several area athletes who played in the Mid-Suburban League.
Dennis Lynch: Dennis, who battled Non-Hodgkins lymphoma for the last 10 years, graduated from Western Illinois and began his teaching career at Rolling Meadows High School, where he retired in 2004 after 32 years. He taught history and business, and his passion was coaching basketball, softball and football.
Last spring at Fremd High School, Lynch threw out the for pitch at a softball game between the Vikings and Palatine, two teams coached by his sons-in-law.
Fremd hosted a “non-Hodgkins Lymphoma” day in honor of Dennis.
Raffles and donations took place for the non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cure.
Dennis’ wife Sharon, all three daughters and his seven grandchildren were at the game.
The funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary Church, 10307 Dundee Road in Huntley.
Martin Wendell: Wendell graduated from St. George High School in Evanston in 1944 and received an Associates Degree from Notre Dame University in 1949.
Martin was a member of the national championship football teams at Notre Dame in 1946 and 1947 under coach Frank Leahy.
He received the Colliers all-American Award in 1948 and the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame Award in 1985. In between he served in the Navy at Great Lakes. He finished his football career playing for the Chicago Hornets in 1949.
The funeral mass was held Monday at St. Alphonsus Liguori Church in Prospect Heights.