Saying goodbye to a good man
For Wheaton Central and Wheaton Warrenville South baseball players of a certain age, March 10 was a day to reflect.
Retired Tigers baseball coach Lyle Morrow, 93, of West Chicago, died that day. A peaceful resolution, he was surrounded by his wife of 60 years, Kathleen, and their children, Jamie and Jason.
“It was so special, so special,” said Kathleen Morrow, a retired teacher who met her husband at a teacher’s bowling league. They had an older child, too, Jeffrey, who passed previously.
I must state that I played on several of Lyle Morrow’s spring and summer baseball teams at Wheaton Central, and probably had him in math class. Baseball was much more memorable.
Like Kathleen said, her husband was special — and our relationship grew in adulthood. Those no longer burdened by coaching always seem to relax a little.
Morrow would suddenly drive up while I was out cutting the grass. We’d exchange Christmas cards with him and Kathleen. A copy of 1978 summer league statistics would arrive in the mail out of the blue along with a handwritten note.
Out of Illinois State, after a few years at Herscher High School Morrow taught 37 years at Wheaton Central/WW South until his 1998 retirement. Then, he taught some more at College of DuPage.
A native of Peru, Ill., Morrow went into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1983. In my time, his teams played decent in the spring then caught fire in summer league behind such pitchers as Dave Spreckles, who threw a no-hitter at Missouri, and Andy Humbles, now a writer with The Tennessean.
Morrow seemed to have an affinity toward writers — and catchers, like me, since he had played the position. It took time, but it felt satisfying to gain his trust to call pitches rather than relay his signals from the dugout.
Morrow was never too high nor too low on the ball field. He was an Army man who drove Buicks. Both felt right. Solid. Dependable. Not showy yet distinctive, like that classic Skylark whose trunk carried our gear and the dirt of a hundred diamonds.
No histrionics, no bravado, nothing chippy. He respected the game and was calm, constant. His quiet integrity maybe influenced us more than we knew.
It’s simple yet profound: Coach Morrow was a good man.
His visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 11, to be followed by an 11 a.m. memorial service at Wheaton Bible Church, 27W500 North Avenue, West Chicago.
Morrow’s obituary drew 1,800 views online, said his surprised wife.
“He loved his students, he loved his ballplayers, and he loved people,” Kathleen Morrow said. “He just loved talking to people.”
Second opinion
It’s nifty when an outside voice confirms an all-area captain selection.
That came March 13 when Waubonsie Valley senior guard Danyella Mporokoso took home Gatorade’s annual award as Illinois girls basketball player of the year. Two days before she had been announced as honorary captain of the Daily Herald DuPage All-Area team.
The Illinois State commit scored 2,979 points in high school, 12th in state history. She also owns a weighted 3.93 grade-point average, the Gatorade folks added.
Hoopsters unite
The fourth Fox Valley basketball reunion was held March 6 at Pal Joey’s in Batavia.
Retired Batavia boys basketball coach Jim Roberts heads this major production.
This year the event featured a video greeting to former West Aurora coach Gordie Kerkman, now living in the state of Oregon; and memorial tributes to St. Charles coach Ron Johnson, West Aurora coach John McDougal, and East Aurora coach Ernie Kivisto.
“That’s roughly 2,000 wins in high school basketball,” Roberts said before the reunion. “It’s just our way of saying thank you to them.”
Family members of the late coaches, including Johnson’s wife, Judy, received the well-wishes of the 194 people who attended.
“Hopefully they enjoyed it,” Roberts said Monday. “I know there were a lot of people glad that they were able to talk to them. Obviously their impact on the Fox Valley left a long-lasting mark. A number of people came in from out of state.”
In addition to the great former East Aurora player Thomas Wyatt, in from Little Rock, Ark., the Johnson contingent included St. Charles graduates from Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas.
Circle your calendar for the 2027 reunion, on March 5, always on the day of boys basketball sectional championships.
“It’s a reflection of a lot of great games, great people, and great memories,” Roberts said.
doberhelman@dailyherald.com