Buffalo Grove wrestler remembered at service
If you wanted Lindsey Durlacher to do something, his friends and family asserted Thursday, all you had to do was tell him he couldn't.
Durlacher, one of the most decorated wrestlers in Illinois history, was memorialized Thursday in a service at the Buffalo Grove High School gymnasium. More than 500 people turned out to honor the man who brought a state championship to BGHS in 1992, was a two-time college All American and a medalist at the 2006 World Championships.
Durlacher, 36, died in his Denver home on June 4. He was recovering from surgery he had following a February snowmobiling accident.
The service started and ended with slide shows, showing Durlacher doing the things he loved, surrounded by the people he loved. In between, family members and friends spoke about a life full of joy and passion, his endless drive and his fearless, fun-loving nature.
His parents, Barbara Durlacher-Brodsky and Richard Durlacher, described their son's free spirit — one he apparently had from a young age.
“(Lindsey) lived one hell of a full life,” his father said. He shared stories of a young Lindsey, doing things that “only Lindsey” could get away with, like sneaking fireworks onto an airplane, or challenging a stranger to a break dancing contest.
Richard Durlacher described the time his son put fireworks in the mailbox, which resulted in the bomb and arson squad coming to the front door. The squad was surprised the culprit was Lindsey Durlacher, only 6 at the time. As punishment, he made the boy go to the fire station every day for a week.
The song of the afternoon was Frank Sinatra's “My Way” — a song sung by his favorite singer that family members said described his life perfectly.
Rabbi Michael Tillman officiated, asking all who remember Durlacher to strive to fulfill his dreams, along with their own.
“We must honor Lindsey's memory with our good deeds, the challenges we over come, and the things we achieve,” he said.
Wrestling coaches, friends and family members all took time to share their own stories, highlighting the zest with which Durlacher lived every day.
The last two to speak were his older brothers, Michael and Dave Durlacher. Both mentioned what a loving uncle he was to their own children, Lindsey never having any of his own.
While both said they were incredibly sad to have lost their brother, they remembered the hell-raising attitude he was known for.
“Your spirit will be kept alive in all the people you have touched,” said Dave Durlacher, the wrestling coach at Buffalo Grove High School. “I'll see you again, someday, my baby brother.”
Funeral services were held early Thursday at Shalom Memorial Cemetery in Arlington Heights.
His family has said they plan to organize another memorial service for in Colorado in a few weeks, as the World Team Trials are taking place this week in Oklahoma.
In 1992, Durlacher won the state wrestling championship for Buffalo Grove High School. He had a 44-0-1 record and was named to the ASICS all-American First Team. He went on to be a two-time all-American at the University of Illinois, placing second at the 1997 NCAA Championships and fourth at the 1996 NCAA Championships.
As a professional wrestler at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, he won the World Greco-Roman bronze medal for the 121-pound weight-class. In 2007, he took fifth place and helped the U.S. win its first World Team title.
He was a silver medalist in 2003 and 2007 at the Pan American Championships.
Durlacher also had a successful coaching career and in 2007 he was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Hall of Fame. He was an assistant coach for several Division I programs, including the University of Illinois, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University and the U.S. Naval Academy.