MATC Matters

TO: ALL EMPLOYEES
FROM: BETTSEY
RE: LYLE HANSON
DATE: MAY 16, 2007

It is with sadness that I write to let you know that our friend and colleague, Lyle Hanson, passed away last night. Lyle has been an MATC mathematics instructor since being hired in the fall of 1973. According to the Arts & Sciences Department he has taught “every class offered.” Through all these years, Lyle has had the unique opportunity to combine his passion for baseball, teaching and mentoring students.

His passion for baseball started when he was young and has been a major part of his life ever since. Since 1957, Lyle has been involved in baseball in Wisconsin. From coaching his son’s teams, to American Legion and Home Talent playing and coaching, to MATC were he started as an assistant baseball coach in 1977, Lyle has always been an ambassador for the sport he so dearly loved.

“Lyle had a definite love for the game of baseball. With his easy going personality, great knowledge and insight of the game he was able to make an immediate impact as an MATC baseball coach,” said Fred Williams, MATC Head Baseball Coach from 1971-1981.

Lyle was Assistant Baseball Coach for 26 years (1977-1987, 1989-2003), Head Baseball Coach for one year (1988 - record 26-13 that year, Conference and State Champions that year), and Baseball Coordinator from 2004-present (assisting with game scheduling and assignments for umpires).

From 1977 to 1987, Lyle served as an assistant coach under three different head coaches. In 1988, Lyle stepped into the spotlight to serve as head coach for one season. During that season, he led MATC to state and conference titles while compiling a 26-13 overall record that is currently the second best winning percentage behind fellow coach Leo Kalinowski. After that season, he continued to serve as assistant coach for the next fifteen seasons under Bill Hebl and Leo Kalinowski. In 1995 and 1996, Lyle was there in the dugout to see his own son, Erik, play an integral role on two of three MATC NJCAA Division III national championship teams.

“Lyle was a book of knowledge, my sounding board and the person I went to for insights that helped shape my coaching career,â€? said former MATC Hall of Fame baseball coach, Leo Kalinowski. “The bottom line is that Lyle allowed me to coach baseball here at MATC.”

His loyalty and commitment to MATC Baseball earned him a place in the MATC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999 but the spotlight was not his domain. Lyle thrived on helping his students and players achieve their maximum potential. He enjoyed touching their futures and being able to give them a good start toward the rest of their lives. He enjoyed his role as a baseball coordinator planning spring trips, making all the arrangements, organizing and scheduling officials, etc… making everything run smoothly on game day without any fanfare on his part.

Besides his passion for baseball and teaching, he had a definite passion for his family as well. While his oldest son Erik played baseball for his dad, Lyle’s youngest son Bjorn took a summer school Trigonometry class from his dad. Both of his son’s are close to their father and now follow in their father’s footsteps as Erik currently teaches Math in Edina, Minnesota, while Bjorn teaches math in Neenah. Lyle’s wife Shirley has supported him throughout all his years of teaching and coaching.

When asked about his baseball career Lyle noted that “he was not the fastest runner but was good at hitting homeruns.” That is exactly what MATC did when we recruited Lyle, we “hit a homerun.”

Quote from Stephen Hauser, MATC Athletic Director: “Today we lost a wonderful man who truly cared for every student that he taught and each student-athlete he had contact with. He always told me that each person has the ability to succeed but that they might not know it. He felt that his job was for them to know that they did, in fact, have it in them - that he would never quit on them and that he would make sure that they did not quit on themselves. Lyle was a very special friend to us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lyle, Shirley, Erik and Bjorn and the entire extended family. We know that Lyle is now at peace.”

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the West Koshkonong Lutheran Church in Stoughton. The visitation will be at the Olson-Holzhuter-Cress Funeral Home in Stoughton beginning around 4 p.m. on Friday.

Please keep Lyle, Shirley, Erik and Bjorn in your thoughts and prayers.

Here are the addresses for the funeral home and the church:

Olson-Holzhuter-Cress Funeral Home
206 W. Prospect
P.O. Box 231
Stoughton, WI 53589
(608) 873-9244

West Koshkonong Lutheran Church-ELCA
1911 Koshkonong Rd
Stoughton, WI 53589
(608) 873-9456

Bettsey L. Barhorst, Ph.D.
President