LARRY JOE OVERATH  

LARRY OVERATH

GODFREY –

Larry Joe Overath, 58, went to eternal life Thursday, April 26, 2001, at his home. Born Sept. 12, 1942, in Alton, he was a son of Charles "Chick" and Fern (Wild) Overath of Alton. He also lived in Alton, Portsmouth, VA, and Shipman.

After graduating from Alton High School in June 1960, he entered the U.S. Navy in September I960. After his term of enlistment, he completed his bachelor of science degree in education in 1968 and earned his master of science degree in education in 1973 from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

He then taught in the Alton School District from 1968 to 1995 and coached the Alton High School boys and girls golf teams for 25 years.

After retiring in 1995, he continued to pursue his interests in golf. Especially important was the companionship he obtained with his golfing buddies in the "No Sandbaggers" group. He also began teaching drivers education for the East Alton-Wood River School District on a part-time basis and substituted in the Alton School District for five years until he became seriously ill in January 2001.He was a lifetime member of the NEA-IEA.

He married Maureen Kay Parkins, daughter of Morris and Grace (Leeds) Parkins, Sept. 12,1961. He will be sadly missed by his loving wife, Kay; two daughters, Mauri Leigh (Shane) Seller of Alton and Jill Anne (Jason) Unverzagt of Belleville; a brother,  Charles Wayne (Rita) Overath of Belleville; a sister, Jeanne (Bill) Salmond of Gumming, Ga.; many special nieces and nephews; and five godchildren, Melissa (Overath) Thornburg of Chesterfield, Mo., Todd and Andrew Olson of Elgin and Steven and Jeffrey Pan of San Marino, CA.

An infant son, Matthew Morris Overath, died July 25, 1962.

To celebrate his life, memorial services were conducted at the First Christian Church, 760 Washington Ave., Alton. Pastor Jim Johnston presided

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a scholarship, fund in the name of Larry Overath, care of Alton School District, Alton, IL 62002. Gent Funeral Home of Alton was in charge of arrangements

Overath put golf on map around area

Larry Overath was the good guy of golf. Actually, he was agood guy. Period.

Overath, 58,  and a former AltonHigh golf coach, died Thursday, April 26, 2001.  He put his stamp on the boys and girls golf programs, coaching his favorite pastime for a quarter of a century. Mostly, he left his mark on those he coached, whether it was as a teacher, friend or confidant. Overath taught health, physical education and driver education at the school.

            "Everything I'm doing now, he taught me what to do," said Todd Cress, the Alton High golf coach the past four years. Cress played for Overath in the 1980s before replacing him as head coach.

             "When I was in school from 1982-85, golf was just starting to get popular," Cress said. "We had some players who had never picked up a club before and Larry helped them to learn the game and get ready to play golf.

"He knew the fundamentals of the game and he was a good teacher of it," Cress said.

Steve Carey agreed. Carey, the Civic Memorial High athletic director and golf coach, said Overath assisted him in pointing the Eagles program in the right direction.

"He was always willing to. help out and very good at showing me the ropes," Carey said. "The first year I took over the team, he was very helpful in getting the team organized. That's what I'll remember the most about him."

 “What many folks will remember about Overath was his dedication to teaching the game of golf the right way. There was nothing haphazard about his instruction.

"He could break down a golf swing better than anyone I've ever seen," Carey said.”But he played the game and was proficient at it, so he understood how to teach it."

Ex-Edwardsville coach Dick Gerber said Overath understood people and tried to get the best out of them. "It's all good what I remem- ber about Larry. What I'll remember the most is that he was always there if you needed something. He was very generous and very caring” Gerber said. "I'm really going to miss him. He was a good friend."

Alton Superintendent James Baiter had two sons play golf for Overath. He said

they will never forget what they learned from him.

''I don't think there's any question that he was an out- standing coach," Baiter said. But he was also somewhat of a perfectionist and very competitive. That's why his teams

we're also the same way.”

"He loved golf and he loved teaching it. He also gave unselfishly of his time working with high school kids." Carey said “Overath had a knack for taking mediocre

golfers and molding them into talented ones.

            "He would coach players who weren't very good and turn them into very good players," Carey said. "And I think really enjoyed doing that because more than anything,

he .was a teacher of golf."

Cress has emerged as one of Overath's most gifted students.

"He was a close friend of mine and pretty much taught me everything I know about the game," Cress said. "He was best at communicating what to do and getting kids ready to play. He loved golf and he'd do anything for the game.”

“Everybody he touched was successful," Cress said,  “that’s the ultimate compli-

ment. There's nothing better you can say about a teacher.”

Steve Porter, is an assistant sports  editor of The Telegraph. 4/28/2001

In Memory of Larry Overath

It seems like only yesterday that we were united and

Our marriage under God had begun. Today on our

40^th Anniversary date, I feel as if God holds us together

As ‘one.’

Love, Kay

“Sorrow passes quietly once we truly understand the

Flower that was once our own is held in God’s hand.”

The Alton Telegraph  Sept. 12, 2001 

Late golf coach honored with '25-club salute'

Group who played golf withLarry Overath on weekends pays

tribute to friend

By DAVE WHALEY

Telegraph staff writer

ALTON —

Larry Overath was impressed with the tribute given to professional golfer Payne Stewart after Stewart's death in an airplane accident. It's only fitting that Overath received a similar tribute Wednesday. A group of friends who Overath golfed with over the years teed off simultaneously on the Spencer T. Olin Golf Course driving range at 5 p.m. as a tribute to the former Alton High School golf coach, who died of cancer April 26 at the age of 58.

Twenty-one golfers paid tribute to Stewart with the golfing version of a 21-gun salute just three days after a bizarre aviation accident killed the Springfield, MO,  native in October 1999. They drove their golf balls into a lake before the start of that weekend's tournament.

Overath, however, was so liked and respected in the area that there was no way the group could be limited to 21. Dale Neudecker, an Upper Alton insurance agent, organized the "25-club salute."

"There was a regular group of guys who golfed with Larry on the weekends at Rock Spring Golf Course," Neudecker said. "We would usually go there, although we might be at Spencer T. or one of the other area courses. But every person here is someone who played golf with Larry and gotten some help from him over the years."

Kay Overath said the 25- club salute was a fitting tribute to her late husband. "The last book he read was the one that Payne Stewart's wife wrote about him," she said. "Something like this is quite an honor. He was very close to every person in that group. Larry always said the three things he enjoyed most about golf were the friendships, being outdoors and making the shots. And the friendships were the Number One thing."

Some of the golfers participating in Wednesday's tribute were Don Wendle, Jim Wigger, Todd Cress, Dene Schickedanz, George Tyler and Sigman An. Wigger was the long-time track coach at AHS and a colleague of Overath's. Cress, the club pro at The Woodlands, was one of Overath's best players for the Redbirds and succeeded him as the 'AHS golf coach in 1995. Schickedanz is the club pro at Spencer T. Olin.

"George Tyler was one.of our favorites," Kay Overath said. "I had him in school,

and then Larry had him .in high school. Sig was another one who played for Larry, and really had a hard time when Larry died."

Overath's daughters, Mauri Seller and Jill Unverzagt, also attended Wednesday's salute. They both played for their father on the AHS golf team in the early. 1990s.

"I know that was a wonderful experience for Larry," said Kay, who was married

to Overath for 39 years. "He never pushed them into golf, but I know he was thrilled."