Henry Hamill, 67

Henry Hamill passed away peacefully while surrounded by close family and friends on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015, at Kootenai Health. Henry was born in Wolf Point, Mont., on Oct. 28, 1947; the third of four children born to Henry “Spud” and Evelyn (Hartz) Hamill.

Henry grew up in Wolf Point and was a 1965 graduate of Wolf Point High School, where he excelled in football, baseball and basketball. Henry attended Northern Montana College in Havre, Mont., and graduated with a B.A. in secondary education in 1970. While at Northern, Henry continued to excel in football, earning All-Conference honors as a senior. In 1991, he earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Idaho.

In 1973, Henry signed a contract to teach social studies and become the head football and assistant basketball coach at Thompson Falls High School in Thompson Falls, Mont. Thus began a teaching and coaching career that would span nearly 40 years and help to shape thousands of young lives.

He was a colorful man who rarely went anywhere without leaving an impression. His nature walks, his abnormally large set of keys, his unique phraseology and his uncompromising commitment to wearing shorts — even in the coldest of temperatures — were famous and made him a favorite among his students. In his spare time he loved to golf, fish, hunt, read Louis L’Amour novels, was a history buff and a superb story teller.

Henry was, however, at his core, a high school football coach. He loved the game and it was good to him. In that role, Henry won four state championships; two as a head coach in Montana (Thompson Falls and Glasgow), and two as an assistant coach in Idaho (Lake City). His honors and awards are countless, but include being named the Montana State Coach of the Year in 1974 and 1980 and the Aflac National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2002.

Henry’s stop in Glasgow brought him more than just gridiron glory — he met and fell in love with Mary Crawford, whom he married in 1978. Henry and Mary had two boys — Pete (1981) and Alex (1985) and were married for 18 years. The Hamill family moved to Idaho in the fall of 1986, where Henry began his Idaho career teaching in the Coeur d’Alene School District and coaching football at Coeur d’Alene High School. He coached the Vikings for 10 seasons before moving to what would be his final teaching and coaching stop at Lake City High School when it opened in 1994.

Henry was an iconic figure at Lake City as a teacher, mentor and coach, helping to guide the Timberwolves to 12 of their 15 straight state playoff appearances, beginning in 1997. Henry retired from coaching in 2007 and retired as a teacher in Idaho in 2010 to take a job as superintendent of schools in his hometown of Wolf Point, where he served one year before retiring to live out the rest of his years at his home on the Coeur d’Alene Public Golf Course in 2012.

Henry is survived by his two sons, Pete of Haiku, Hawaii, and Alex of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; his sister, Marilyn of Ashburn, Va.; his brother, Harvey of Billings, Mont.; and by his girlfriend, Christy of Spokane, Wash.

A service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015, in the auditorium at Lake City High School.

Many thanks to all who supported, sustained and enriched Henry’s life during the journey. Donations may be made in his honor to the Lake City High School Booster Club.

Yates Funeral Home has been entrusted with the care of final arrangements. Please visit Henry’s online memorial at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com and sign his guest book.