The area athletic scene suffered a loss this week with the passing of Jack Smiley.
Smiley, most recently the athletic director at Dayton High School, died of cancer on Tuesday at the age of 69.
He also served as A.D. at Waitsburg-Prescott and Prescott over the past decade or so.
I remember the joy of keeping baseball statistics at Walla Walla Community College from the 1990 postseason through the 2000 campaign.
Smiley was an assistant coach at Walla Walla under Ken Johnson from 1990-94. During that time, the Warriors finished second in the NWAACC Championships twice (1990, 1994) and won or shared the Eastern Region title four times (1991-94).
Ryan Blair and Chad Smith, who played at WWCC during the 1991 and 1992 seasons, e-mailed me earlier this week to share their thoughts.
“He was a really phenomenal person who had a positive impact on my life,” said Blair, who currently has his own dental practice in Portland, Ore.
“He was such a gentleman and a great role model,” said Smith, who works for Spokane Hoopfest. “I loved not only his passion for the game of baseball, but also his leadership, caring and patience.”
There’s no doubt that Jack Smiley will be missed, but his positive contributions to the local athletic arena will not be soon forgotten.