Obituaries

Passages: Kathy McKee, ASCA Hall of Famer and SwimMAC Coach Kathy McKee, a long-time member of the SwimMAC coaching staff and an inductee to the American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame, has died. The ASCA announced her death on Wednesday. She was 69 years old. McKee coached at SwimMAC Carolin...

Passages: Masters Champion, Coach Geoff Mykleby Leaves Legacy By Adam Mania The swimming community lost a legend over the weekend. Dr. Geoff Mykleby, also known to some as Molar, The Party Planner, Wolfpack, Dr. Deluxe (I’m sure there are more nicknames) succumbed to a long battle with cancer wrappe...

Legendary Coach Frank Keefe Dies; Leaves Lasting Legacy At Numerous Stops Legendary swim coach Frank Keefe, who led Yale for more than 30 years and coached a slew of Olympians, has died. Yale confirmed his passing in a statement on Friday. He was 85. Keefe leaves a long legacy of coaching. He spent ...

Passages: Jud Crawford, Ohio State Star and World University Games Gold Medalist, 51 Jud Crawford, a standout at Ohio State University and a World University Games gold medalist, died on April 6. He was 51 years old. Crawford – full name Judson Crawford – swam in Columbus from 1990-93. He swept the ...

Passages: Robert Trotman, Diversity Advocate and Club Founder, 82 Robert Trotman, who spent six decades coaching swimming and extending swimming opportunities to historically underserved communities, died on March 22. He was 82 years old. Trotman founded Nu-Finmen Swim Team in 1959, with Charles Sim...

Passages: Pat McCormick, Olympic Champion Diver and Hall of Famer, Dies at 92 Pat Keller McCormick, the first diver inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural induction class, died on March 7, 2023 at the age of 92. She was the first diver, male or female, to win ...

Passages: Jamie Cail, Former U.S. National Team Swimmer, 42 Jamie Cail, a former U.S. national teamer and gold medalist at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships, died in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Feb. 21. Reports from the island indicate that police there are investigating the circumstances of Cail’s ...

Passages: Viktor Ageev, Triple Olympic Medalist in Water Polo, 86 Viktor Ageev, a three-time Olympic water polo medalist for the Soviet Union, died on Jan. 30. He was 86 years old. Born in Moscow in 1936, Viktor Ivanovich Ageev rose through the Soviet sporting ranks. He made his Olympic debut with t...

Passages: Nick Rodionoff, Longtime Pepperdine Coach and Diving Mentor, 87 Nick Rodionoff, the former women’s swimming and diving head coach at Pepperdine who worked at the school for four decades, died on Feb. 17. He was 87 years old. Rodionoff led the swimming and diving program for 18 years from 2...

OBITUARY: Australian Olympian Adam Lucas Pays A Special Tribute To His Celebrated Coach Grant Stoelwinder Australia’s 2004 Athens Olympic medley swimmer Adam Lucas summed up his coach Grant Stoelwinder perfectly when the Western Australian swimming community gave the coach they all called “Stolly” t...

Passages: Ty Wells, University of Arizona Swimmer, 23 Ty Wells, a fifth-year swimmer at the University of Arizona, passed away Friday. The school confirmed his death but did not reveal the cause. He was 23 years old. "On behalf of the entire University of Arizona community, I want to extend our hear...

Passages: Jane Cederqvist, Swedish Olympic Silver Medalist, 77 Jane Cederqvist, the silver medalist in the 400 freestyle at the 1960 Olympics, died on Jan. 15. She was 77 years old. Cederqvist died from complications of ALS. The native of Stockholm had just turned 15 in the summer of 1960 when she h...

Passages: Shintaro Yokochi, Father and Coach of Portuguese Olympic Finalist, 87 Shintaro Yokochi, a Japanese swimmer who became a renowned coach in Portugal, died this week at the age of 87. His death was announced by the Portuguese Swimming Federation on Sunday. Yokochi’s man pupils included his so...

Passages: Don Easterling, Longtime NC State Coach, Age 90 Don Easterling, who led North Carolina State to 17 ACC titles over 24 years at the helm, has died, the school announced on Saturday. Easterling was 90 years old. Easterling led the Wolfpack from 1970-94. He won 15 ACC championships at the hel...

Passages: Carmel Swimmer Michael Jent Dies After Injuries Sustained in Car Accident Michael Jent, a 16-year-old student at Carmel High School and a member of the school's swim team, died Sunday after he was involved in a car accident early Friday morning. Jent's car crashed into an apartment buildin...

In 2022, the swimming community lost several important figures. The sport won't be the same without them, but their legacies live on. Here is a look back and who we have lost. Click the link in each person's name to read the full obituary and legacy of each person. Passages: Sam Kendricks Sam Kend.....

Passages: John Spannuth, Key Figure in Masters Swimming, Age 89 John Spannuth, a long-time swimming administrator and a key figure in the creation of U.S. Masters Swimming, died on Dec. 19. He was 89 years old. Spannuth’s connection to Masters Swimming goes back to the very beginning, hosting the or...

Passages: Per-Ola Lindberg, Two-Time Swedish Olympian, Age 82 Per-Ola Lindberg, a Swedish swimmer who excelled at the University of Southern California, died on Dec. 19. He was 82 years old. Lindberg competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He won an NCAA title with USC and...

Passages: Dan Colella, Longtime Coach at Duke, Passes Away at Age 60 Duke head coach Dan Colella passed away Friday after a battle with cancer. Colella, who was the Blue Devils' head coach since the 2005-06 season, was 60 years old. The University announced his death in a press release Saturday afte...

Passages: Harold Cliff, Engine Behind Omaha Olympic Trials Harold Cliff, the Canadian sports administrator who helped turn U.S. Olympic team trials in Omaha into a whirlwind success, has died. Cliff’s passing was first reported by Swimming Canada, for which that native of Victoria, British Columbia ...