Deloris Homuth

Barrington, Illinois,DOUGLAS ""DOUG"" M. BLUNDY Douglas M. Blundy, 63, of Crystal Lake passed peacefully January 3, 2011 surrounded by his loving family. He was born March 9, 1947 to Kenneth and Carol Blundy. A graduate of Illinois State University with two masters degrees in education, he went on to teach for forty plus years at Crystal Lake Central High School, changing countless lives. In addition to teaching, he had many other responsibilities at the school including athletic director, math department chairman, and numerous coaching positions. In particular, he had a strong passion shaping young lives through coaching. This led to his induction in the softball hall of fame and countless successful volleyball seasons. At home, he was a beloved father. He enjoyed spending time with his children which ranged from going on a fishing trip, catching a ballgame, or enjoying a meal together at the Olive Garden. Also, he was adored by his grandchildren. They loved spending time with their ""Papa"" and the grandkids meant the world to him. He is survived by wife Bonnie; son Rich and wife Heather, son Jim and wife Christy, daughter Missy and husband Craig; five grandchildren, Karaline, Anna, Grace, Sarah and Lucas; mother Carol; and siblings Nancy, Barb and David. He was preceded in death by his father Kenneth. The visitation will be from 3-9pm, Friday, January 7 at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E Terra Cotta Ave (IL Rt 176), Crystal Lake. The funeral service will be at 10am, Saturday, January 8 at the funeral home followed by a private burial at Windridge Memorial Park. For condolences or words of how Doug Blundy has touched your life, please send an email to INMEMORYOFBLUNDY@gmail.com Memorials will be sent to the Doug Blundy Scholarship Fund, at Crystal Lake Central High School THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE has been reprinted with permission from the Northwest Herald as it appeared January 4, 2011: For five years, Doug Blundy laid claim to his cancer, refusing to let it stop him from living the life he loved. On Monday, the cancer claimed Blundy. Blundy, Crystal Lake Central?s athletic director and girls volleyball coach, died at Prentice Women?s Hospital in Chicago of complications from a stem cell transplant to treat his multiple myeloma, a form of cancer that attacks the plasma cells in bone marrow. Blundy, 63, had worked at Central for 42 years and was a staple in the McHenry County high school sports scene, overseeing events and working with little interruption. He had been adamant that his work not suffer and, despite often feeling tired and sick, he remained on the sidelines and in his office adorned with Tiger memorabilia until two weeks ago when Central?s winter break began. People often asked Blundy why he continued to work, and he always responded that he never would stop doing what he loved. Central principal Scott Olson knew that wasn?t simply a line. "A lot of people find themselves in careers they may not be passionate about, he loved what he was doing every minute of every day," Olson said. "I feel blessed to have him in my life. He was certainly a mentor for me." It is the second time in just over two years that Central has lost an iconic athletic figure. Longtime tennis coach Judy Elder died of acute leukemia in September 2008. Blundy, like Elder, had some very talented and successful teams over the years. He took volleyball teams to the IHSA state finals three times in 27 seasons, and the Tigers won a Class 3A state title in 2007, finishing 42-0. Blundy?s 1989 team lost in the former-Class AA quarterfinals and he made his final appearance at the 2009 state finals. The Tigers finished fourth. Blundy?s volleyball teams also won four of the past five Fox Valley Conference Fox Division titles and were 181-7 during the past five seasons. Blundy was eighth on the IHSA?s list for most career coaching victories, with a 783-188 overall record. He also coached softball from 1979-97 and again from 2000-06. Blundy also was involved in Central?s student council, was a mathematics teacher and the math department chair ? a position he held until this year. "He meant the world to Central," assistant athletic director Jeff Aldridge said. "Think about a guy who was teacher, department chair, AD, head coach, assistant coach and father figure to a lot of teachers, students and other coaches. It?s hard to describe. I don?t know any other district that could ever have anyone like him." Blundy faced his cancer the way he faced work: He was stubborn. He insisted he continue working and coaching when his doctors told him he should rest, and he did not like asking others for help or delegating jobs that he felt he could do himself. It was part of the reason he was so respected and highly regarded over the years. "People like that, they just don?t make them anymore," Aldridge said. "Talk about having some huge shoes to fill." Northwest Herald sports writer Joe Stevenson contributed to this report. Copyright 2011 Northwest Herald. All rights reserved.

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